The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s get into it.

The Rock-Costa Azul is the one spot on the menu. The water’s running at 88°, which is a good 5° warmer than the usual for this time of year. That’s seriously warm, makes a wetsuit feel like overkill, and that’s a nice bonus.

The first decent window kicks off on Saturday morning, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The swell’s a solid 5.0ft from the SSW, with a 16-second period – that’s a proper groundswell with some real energy behind it (1571). The problem is that the wind is a light cross-shore, which is okay, but it won’t be perfect. The afternoon gets a bit rougher with a 12 mph W wind, so not the best time to paddle out.

The real standout is Sunday morning. The swell drops to 4.3ft, still from the SSW, with a 15-second period (1111). The wind goes completely glassy. That’s the sort of clean, lined-up swell you wait for. It’s not huge, but it’s gonna be perfect. The afternoon stays clean with a gentle offshore from the WNW, so you’ve got a full day of quality on the 6th.

Monday and Tuesday see the swell drop off and the wind turns a bit messy, so those are days to sit out or do something else. The Rock is a reef break, and it’s consistent, so it usually handles swell well, but the energy drops, and the wind is cross-on, so it’s not worth the paddle.

Wednesday the 9th is a real treat. The swell is only 3.0ft, but the period stretches to 17 seconds, and the wind is glassy all day. That’s a long, clean groundswell that’ll wrap in nicely. The energy is low (537 and 908), but for a reef break, that long period means the waves will have shape. It’s not a stand-out for size, but for pure quality, it’s a very good day.

Thursday the 10th gets a bit messy with a strong cross-on wind, so skip that. Friday the 11th offers another chance with a glassy morning and a 3.6ft SSW swell. Very clean.

The second week settles into a pattern of smaller, glassy mornings. The swell stays around 2.3ft to 3.3ft, but the periods are still good, often 14 to 19 seconds. The wind is frequently glassy, or light offshore. This is the kind of run where you can pick your morning and get uncrowded, clean waves. The energy is moderate, always in the low hundreds to mid-hundreds.

The best overall period is that Sunday morning, September 6th. It’s got the best combo of decent size (4.3ft), a long period, and glassy conditions. The Rock will be clean, and the crowd profile says “often” busier, but on a Sunday with that quality, expect company. The other standout is the Wednesday the 9th, for those who love a slow, long-period swell on a reef. It’s not a high-energy day, but the quality will be there.

Read more