Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu for Costa Nova over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a tough start. The next few days are looking pretty flat and messy. We're seeing some small, weak swells but the winds are all over the place, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making a mess of things. You’ll have to sit through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with barely anything rideable.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday morning, July 14th. It's tiny – only about 1 ft of swell from the WNW – but it's glassy. Absolutely dead calm. That means the ocean will be like a mirror, and while the waves won't have any power, you might find a little knee-high slider just to get wet.

Then we get a whole lot of nothing until the swell starts to pick up around Friday the 18th. But don't get excited. We're looking at a building NNW swell that's going to be short period and contaminated by poor cross-onshore winds. This is where the setup gets real interesting for the kite crew. With the increasing swell and consistent side wind, it's going to be way more appealing for a kite than a paddle board.

The one major standout, and it's a big if, is Monday the 20th. Monday afternoon sees a massive jump in energy. We're talking about a solid 10 ft swell from the NNW with high energy (1218) and a reasonable 8-second period. The comment on the forecast even says the wind and tide are favorable, BUT it warns the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is for experts only, and even then, it might be a washing machine. The morning could be slightly smaller at 8 ft with lighter offshore wind (1223 energy), making it slightly more manageable, but still a heavy, heavy paddle. If you're a seasoned local and know where to sit, the Monday morning session is the only window with half-decent shape.

After that, the swell drops back down through the rest of the week, but the winds just won't cooperate. It's cross-on or onshore right through to the end of the 16 days.

So, to be honest, for pure, user-friendly surfing, the outlook is grim. Your best bet for getting a clean wave is that brief, tiny, glassy window on Tuesday morning the 14th. If you're an expert, the Monday the 20th window offers size, but be prepared for a beatdown. For the rest of us, it might be a good time to take the kite out or hang the board up until conditions change.

Rusty.

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