Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin' for Costa Nova.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, with a whole lot of nothing special on the cards. We’ve got a run of pretty ordinary conditions to start, with a few windows where things might clean up, but nothing that’s gonna have you ringing in sick. The real standout is a solid pulse of groundswell that’s due in towards the end of the first week, but you’ll need to pick your moment.

Things kick off on Wednesday the 26th with a stormy vibe and a fresh SSE cross-off wind. The swell is a weak 3ft from the south, with a short 5-second period and low energy (87). It’s pretty messy, so I’d give it a miss. That sloppy cross-onshore stuff continues through Thursday, with the swell building to 7ft from the WSW, but the wind is on it and the energy (701) is moderate at best. Not worth paddling out.

Friday the 28th is where it starts to get interesting, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. That WNW swell jumps to 8ft, with a long 11-second period, packing strong energy (1386). The wind is a light cross-onshore in the morning, which is a shame, but the size and power are there. That’s expert territory for sure – too big for beginners. The afternoon holds similar size (8ft) from the NW with even more energy (1630), but again, the cross-onshore wind keeps it from being perfect. It’s a bit of a beast.

Saturday the 29th sees the swell drop back to a more manageable 5ft from the NW, but the wind swings cross-shore and the period drops to 8 seconds. It’s a bit of a let-down after Friday’s size. The afternoon gets choppy again.

Now, here’s the window you want to aim for. Sunday morning the 30th is the best bet of the whole forecast. We’ve got a clean 5ft NW groundswell (period 11 seconds) with moderate energy (606), but the kicker is that glassy wind. Dead calm. It’ll be clean as a whistle. That’s your session right there. The water temp is about average for the time of year at 66°.

The rest of that week into the first week of September is a write-off. We’ve got a run of onshore and cross-shore winds with lumpy, choppy surf. The swell stays around 4ft to 6ft from the NW, but the conditions are just poor.

We get a brief glimmer on Thursday morning the 3rd of September – a light ESE offshore wind with a 5ft NW swell (period 7 seconds). It’ll be clean, but the energy is only moderate (276) and the period is short. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Friday the 4th is small and clean in the morning (3ft, glassy), but the swell is weak (157 energy).

After that, it’s a long, drawn-out period of tiny surf. From the 5th to the 8th of September, we’re looking at knee-to-waist high dribble, mostly 2ft to 3ft, with occasional clean windows but not enough power for a decent ride. The energy is consistently weak (below 100 at times).

We get a bit of a bump on the 9th of September, with 5ft from the NNW, but the period is short (6 seconds) and the wind is onshore, so it’s junk. The 10th is similar, with a cross-onshore breeze and a weak, short-period swell.

So, the bottom line: the only true standout is Sunday morning the 30th of August. Get out there early for clean, glassy 5ft groundswell at Costa Nova (beach/jetty). It’s a fairly consistent spot, but it can get crowded sometimes. That morning will be the pick of the bunch. The rest of the period is either too big and messy, or too small and weak to get excited about. It’s a classic case of waiting for the right window.

Rusty

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