Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ straight at what’s on offer for Costa Nova over the next couple weeks. Let’s be real from the start: it’s a mixed bag, and for a lot of the run, you’re gonna be fightin’ the wind more than ridin’ the wave. But there are a couple of windows where everything lines up, and that’s where we’ll focus.

The first decent chance pops up early Saturday morning, September 5th. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell rollin’ in from the WNW, and with a light NNE breeze goin’ glassy, the surface will be like a mirror. The energy’s still moderate (205), but the conditions will be real nice for a long session on a longboard. The swell’s a bit short in period (9 seconds), so it won’t have heaps of push, but it’ll be fun. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout, and I mean the *one* to circle on your calendar, is the Monday morning of September 14th. That’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are good. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the NNW, and the key here is the wind: a light offshore from the East at just 6 mph. That’ll groom the waves clean. The period is short (7 seconds) so it’ll be a bit crumbly, not a powerful groundswell, but with that offshore wind, Costa Nova will have shape and the combined energy is moderate (372). This is your best bet for a proper paddle session. Keep in mind, at 6ft, it’s gettin’ a bit much for total beginners, but solid intermediates will have a blast.

That same set-up repeats on Tuesday morning, September 15th, with another 6ft NNW swell and that same light offshore East wind. Again, clean conditions, solid size. The period is still short at 6 seconds, so expect a bit of a lumpy, fun wave rather than a long, lined-up wall.

Wednesday morning, September 16th, the swell drops a touch to 6ft from the NNW, but we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the SE. That’s still clean and workable, and the energy is moderate (481). Another solid morning.

The very last chance is Friday morning, September 18th. The swell is down to 4ft from the NNW, but the wind is dead calm – glassy as can be. That’ll be a beautiful, small-wave morning for a smooth, cruisy session.

For the rest of the days? Look, from Saturday afternoon onward, that cross-onshore wind from the NNW kicks in, and it’s just choppy and messy. The Sunday before the 14th (September 13th) has a bit of size (4ft) but the wind is still cross, so it’s marginal. The days in between are a write-off for quality surfing. This spot is a beach and jetty set-up, so with those strong cross-winds, it’s lookin’ more like a kite surfer’s playground for most of the second week.

Bottom line: keep your eyes on those mornings of the 14th, 15th, and 16th. That’s the cleanest, most rideable swell of the whole run. The rest is mostly a wait-and-see.

Rusty.

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