Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a frustrating start. We’ve got some clean, small windows early on, but the prevailing winds are mostly cross-on or worse, which kills the quality. The best bet is to pick your moments very carefully, because the first week is lean. The second week looks more promising for size, but it’s accompanied by a lot of wind. The standout is that Monday the 27th morning session, and then a big, raw swell pushing through Sunday the 9th of August onwards.

Monday morning, the 27th of July, is the pick of the early period. Costa Nova is clean with a glassy N wind at 5 km/h, and the water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°. The swell is a small 2ft from the NNW, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a nice long period groundswell, which will give it some shape and energy. The combined energy is moderate (207). It’s a small wave, but glassy and clean. The afternoon on the same day goes to crap with the NW wind picking up to 20 km/h, chopping it up.

Tuesday the 28th morning is another chance. Glassy WSW wind at 5 km/h, with a 4ft swell from the NW. The period is a solid 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to moderate (300). That’s a clean, fun morning wave. But again, the afternoon turns to junk with a cross-on NW breeze.

From Wednesday the 29th right through to Saturday the 2nd of August, it’s a real grind. The swell drops off, the wind is mostly cross-on, and the energy gets weak. There are periods of glassy conditions, like Thursday the 30th morning and Saturday the 1st morning, but the swell is tiny (1ft to 2ft) and the combined energy is very weak (69 and 107). It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but it’s very ordinary.

The second week picks up a bit of size, but the wind is a constant problem. Sunday the 9th of August morning sees a proper pulse: a 6ft swell from the WNW with a very long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is strong (767). That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is a cross NNW breeze at 20 km/h, making it messy. This is a raw, powerful swell, but it’s not clean. A beach break like Costa Nova with that long period can be a bit too straight, but the power is there. The afternoon gets worse with a fresh 30 km/h cross-on. This stretch from the 9th through the 11th is for experienced surfers only – the swell is over 5ft and up to 7ft, and the wind is a mess. The combined energy is strong to very strong (up to 851). Honestly, with that much wind and a beach setup, it could be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

So, to wrap it up: the standout is Monday morning, the 27th of July, for a clean, small glassy session. The next real highlight is the Sunday morning, the 9th of August, for a big, powerful swell, but you’ll be dealing with messy wind. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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