Costa Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s get real about the waves on the horizon. We’ve got a mixed bag coming our way, so let’s break it down.

The next 16 days are looking like a bit of a tease for Costa Nova. The ocean’s got some energy, sure, but the wind is going to be our biggest enemy for most of the run. We’ll see a few decent windows of clean conditions, but you’ll have to be sharp to grab them.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Sunday morning, August 16th. There’s a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is glassy from the NNE, so the surface should be smooth. This is your classic early morning score before the seabreeze kicks in and messes things up. The swell energy is moderate at 289, so there’s some push behind it. Later that day, the wind swings around to the NNW and picks up, chopping it out. A similar story plays out on Monday morning, August 17th, with another 5ft NNW swell and glassy conditions, so get out there early again.

From Tuesday afternoon onwards, the quality just drops off. There’s still some swell, but the winds turn onshore or cross-shore, making things lumpy and messy. It’s a tough stretch with a few days where it might be considered marginal at best.

Now, Thursday morning, August 21st, is interesting. The swell jumps up to 7ft from the NNW, and the energy is strong at 1086. But the winds are light and cross-onshore, which is okay but not perfect. This is bigger and more powerful, but the conditions might be a bit rough. It's not really a standout, but it's a sign of what's to come.

There's also a Sunday morning, August 24th, that looks worth setting the alarm for. We see a clean 5ft NNW swell with a 9-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE, which should groom it nicely. It's flagged as good conditions, so this might be the pick of the bunch for a clean, fun session.

After that, the pattern returns to messy, with cross-shore and onshore winds ruining a few more promising swells. The end of the month and into the first of September just looks like a lot of chop and lump.

So, what’s the call? Honestly, the standout is that Sunday morning, August 24th, where everything aligns for a clean, head-high wave. The Sunday and Monday mornings a week before are also worth a paddle if you’re keen and can get out early.

As for Costa Nova itself, it’s a beach/jetty setup that doesn’t mind a bit of size. The break can get a bit sectiony on a steep swell, but when it’s clean, it’s a fun wave. Expect some company, as it can get crowded sometimes.

With the onshores forecast for so many afternoons, it might be worth checking if the kites are out, as those conditions will be more appealing for them than for us paddle surfers. There's no real water temp anomaly to report, so it’ll be about average for this time of year.

That’s how I see it. Don’t sleep on those morning windows, and be ready to be picky. There’s surf to be had, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

Rusty.

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