Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

This stretch is looking pretty poor for a paddle. The first real surf shows up on July 4th, and it’s a tough start. There’s a long gap of flat, junk conditions before that, so just wait it out.

The first thing is on Saturday morning, July 4th, at Costa Nova. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is weak (157). The water is 65°F, which is about average for this time of year. The wind is a rare glassy ESE breeze, so the surface will be clean. But the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. It’s surfable, but barely. The afternoon turns to junk with a cross-onshore wind.

Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th are more of the same—tiny, gutless swells with cross-onshore winds messing it up. The energy drops off completely. Tuesday the 7th sees the swell drop to 0.9ft with a short period of 8 seconds, and the energy is basically nothing (25). It’s just flat.

The next date that’s *almost* worth a look is Friday the 10th. The morning shows a 2ft WNW swell, but the period is only 9 seconds. The wind is onshore from the W, and the energy picks up to 130. Still not great. The afternoon sees a 3ft swell with a period of just 6 seconds, which is just windswell junk. Poor surf.

Then we get a spike. Saturday, July 11th, brings a 7ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 651 (moderate). The problem? The wind is cross-onshore from the NNW, and by the afternoon it’s 22 mph cross-shore. That’s a messy, choppy lineup. For the average surfer, 7ft with that wind is a no-go. For the experts, it’s still a battle. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The rest of that week (12th to 15th July) shows consistent 6ft to 7ft swells, but the wind is always cross-onshore or cross-shore, and the period stays short (7-8 seconds). The onshore flow keeps everything lumpy and choppy. The energy is still moderate (300-500 range), but the quality is just not there.

From the 16th of July onward, the swell drops back to 4ft and below, with the wind still a problem. The 17th and 18th are all small, weak, and messy. The 19th of July is the last day in the window, and it’s a 4ft NW swell with a cross-onshore wind.

So, to be honest, there is no standout session in this 16-day run. The best on offer is that Saturday morning, July 4th, with the glassy conditions, but it’s just too small to call it a win. The bigger swell on the 11th is ruined by the wind. If you’re desperate, paddle out on the 4th for a longboard and a sunrise, but don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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