The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me look you straight in the eye and tell you about The Rock-Costa Azul. This is a reef break, and it's got some serious pulse running through it over the next couple of weeks, but you gotta be switched on. The swell is lining up from the south, which is exactly what this spot wants to see, and there are a couple of sessions that will have your heart racing.

Starting off on Friday the 17th of July, the morning is glassy with a light 4ft southerly swell pushing in at 11 seconds. The wind is nearly nothing, just a slight air from the SSE, so it'll be super clean. The wave energy is moderate at 388, but the conditions are prime. Friday afternoon picks up a bit with a 4ft swell from the SSW at 10 seconds, but the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the WSW. It's still looking really good.

Now, we hit a bit of a lull through Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th. The wind turns onshore and cross-onshore, and the swell gets messy. Saturday morning is basically a write-off with onshore wind and only 4ft. Sunday has that long 17-second period swell coming in, but it’s hitting hard with a cross-onshore breeze, so it's going to be choppy and tricky.

Then things get interesting. Monday the 20th of July afternoon is your first true standout. There's a risk of thunderstorms in the air, but the wind goes clean offshore from the WNW at just 6 mph. The swell is a solid 4ft from the SSW with a 16-second period – that's proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 1249, which is strong, and it's delivering excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This reef is going to be humming.

Tuesday the 21st of July afternoon is another top-tier session. The swell builds to 8ft from the SSW at 13 seconds. That’s getting big – definitely too much for beginners, but for the crew who know what they're doing, it's a riot. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SW at 6 mph, and the wave energy is cranking at 2057. Clean, powerful, and for the experts only.

There's a solid run of surf through the week, but the best of the best comes in on the weekend. Saturday the 25th of July morning is absolutely dreamy – glassy conditions with a slight air from the SE, and a 4ft swell from the SW with a very long 20-second period. The energy is huge at 1860. This long-period groundswell will wrap beautifully around the reef. Later that afternoon, it's still excellent: 5ft from the SW at 19 seconds, cross-offshore wind from the WSW, and a massive 2591 in the energy department. That is the most powerful swell of the whole forecast. This is the session to circle on your calendar.

Sunday the 26th of July afternoon holds up with 5ft and clean cross-offshore wind, but the energy drops a touch. From there, the swell hangs around the 4ft to 5ft mark for the next few days, but the wind tends to be cross or cross-onshore more often, so it won't be as pristine. The standout remains that Saturday the 25th. After the 30th of July, the swell drops hard to under 3ft, and the energy fades below 600. It looks like a quiet end to the run, though the morning of Saturday the 1st of August has a small, glassy 3ft SSW swell with 13 seconds – a nice little clean finale if you've got a longboard.

Water temperature is sitting pretty average for this time of year, no major anomalies to report. The Rock is an exposed reef, and it does get crowded often, so get there early for those clean windows.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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