Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got for Costa Nova. It’s a mixed bag over the next two weeks, with a couple of windows worth paddling out for, but plenty of time to keep the wax on the shelf.

The first real chance shows up on Thursday morning, 20 August. It’s tiny, with a 0.7m swell from the WNW and a 9-second period, so not much energy. The combined energy is weak (118). But the wind is glassy, calm, so the surface will be clean. It’s just very ordinary, knee-high stuff. Not a standout, but you could get wet if you’re keen.

We hit a quiet patch after that. Friday morning the 21st jumps up to 2.0m from the NNW with a 10-second period and moderate energy (803), but the wind is cross-shore and lumpy, making it messy. The afternoon is even worse with fresh cross-onshore winds at 30 km/h. Saturday morning the 22nd is a bit cleaner with a light cross-shore, but the swell drops to 1.3m and the energy is still moderate (302). The afternoon is blown out with onshore winds.

The first real highlight comes on Sunday morning, 23 August. We’ve got a 1.5m swell from the west, a 10-second period, and a solid moderate energy (500). The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze, making for clean conditions. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer in the first week. The wave direction from the west matches the optimum for the spot. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun for intermediates. The afternoon goes to crap with a choppy cross-onshore, so get in early.

After that, the outlook gets pretty grim for a stretch. Monday the 24th through Wednesday the 26th is mostly blown out or plagued by poor conditions and onshore winds. There’s a moment on Wednesday morning the 26th where the swell is 1.5m from the west with a very short 7-second period (marginal energy of 240), but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not going to be great. Not worth the drive.

Thursday the 27th shows a bit more size – 2.0m from the WNW with a 10-second period and strong energy (783) – but the wind is cross-onshore and fairly choppy both morning and afternoon. It’s marginal. The Friday morning the 28th is similar, 1.7m from the WNW, but with lighter wind and a bit more energy (526). It’s a “marginal” call, but if you’re a local who knows the sandbars, it could be a dark horse.

The second week gets a bit more interesting around 31 August, Monday morning. The swell is 1.4m from the NW with a 9-second period (moderate energy, 327), but the wind is cross-shore and lumpy. Not great. The afternoon of the 31st shows a big jump in energy – 1.8m from the NW with a very long 13-second period and very strong energy (1280). That’s a serious groundswell. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. If the wind had been offshore, this would have been the standout of the whole forecast. As it stands, it’s a frustrating one.

The final window of note is Tuesday morning, 1 September. The swell is 1.6m from the NW with a 10-second period, moderate energy (504), and a gentle cross-shore wind. It’s a “marginal” call, but the conditions are cleaner than the afternoon. It’s probably the second-best option after that Sunday morning.

Overall, the standout is the Sunday morning, 23 August. That’s your session. Clean, fun waves, not too big, not too crowded. After that, it’s a waiting game with a lot of onshore chop. The long period swell on the 31st has the power but the wind ruins it. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, but for now, pencil in that Sunday.

Rusty, signing off.

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