Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here for the Costa Nova stretch. The window starts on Thursday the 3rd of September, and honestly, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. We’ve got swell on the charts, but it’s small and messy, and the wind is all over the shop. You’re not missing much early on.

Thursday the 3rd starts with a tiny 3ft wave from the NNW, period a short 7 seconds, and even though it’s glassy in the morning, there’s just no energy behind it – the combined energy is only 114 (weak). By the afternoon, it’s a total loss with a strong NNW cross-breeze.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th morning are similar – small, weak, and nothing to write home about. But hold on, Saturday morning the 5th, the wind goes glassy again, and the swell ticks up a notch. The combined energy jumps to 241 (moderate), and the swell is a clean 3ft from the WNW. That’s a little window of hope, but it’s short-lived. By Saturday afternoon, a long-period 14-second groundswell from the NW rolls in, energy jumps to 482 (strong), but the wind goes cross-onshore and ruins it.

Sunday the 6th is a no-go – cross-onshore winds and a lumpy sea all day.

Monday the 7th is interesting. The swell picks up to 6ft from the WNW, period a solid 12 seconds, and the combined energy is 898 (strong). That’s a decent groundswell, but the wind is a fresh cross-breeze, and the report says “marginal.” It’s a bit of a gamble – the power is there, but the wind might chop it up. After that, the whole week from the 8th to the 14th is a washout: strong winds, cross-shore chop, and the swell is either too small or too messy.

Now, the real standout. Mark your calendar for Wednesday the 16th of September. That morning looks absolutely beautiful. The wind goes glassy – dead calm – and we’ve got a 5ft swell from the NNW at 9 seconds. The combined energy is 787 (strong), and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one. For an intermediate surfer, this is prime. The wave height is right in the sweet spot, and with glassy conditions, Costa Nova’s beach/jetty setup will be clean and rippable. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no nasty surprises.

Thursday the 17th still has some solid 4ft swell from the NNW with an 11-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, and the reports are only calling it marginal. The 16th is your best bet by a long shot.

So, if you’re hanging out for a session, hold out for Wednesday the 16th. The rest of the 16-day window is mostly a bust – lots of windy, choppy, or tiny days. But that one morning is worth the wait.

Rusty

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