The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for The Rock-Costa Azul over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water is sitting at a very unusual 88°F - that’s 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s going to feel more like a bath than the ocean. That’s a real standout for the first break we’re talking about here.

The overall pattern is a slow burn. There’s a bit of a wait before things get interesting, with the immediate first few days being pretty average. The setup is a reef break that’s consistent and exposed to the south, but it’s an advanced wave. The optimum direction is from the south, so when we get those pulses, it should line up nicely.

Sunday the 30th of August kicks off with a clean 6ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, which puts a bit of a ripple on the face. The combined energy is strong (1370). It’s rideable but not the cleanest. By the afternoon, it drops to 4ft and the wind goes cross-off, cleaning it right up. Better, but still not the standout.

Monday the 31st of August is a beauty start to the day. Glassy conditions, 3ft from the SSW, period a solid 13 seconds. This is groundswell, and on a reef, that will produce some proper, tidy lines. Combined energy is moderate (547). The afternoon stays glassy with a drop to 3ft. This morning session is the best of the first few days for sure.

Now we hit a bit of a rough patch. Tuesday the 1st of September through Thursday the 3rd are pretty grim. The wind goes onshore or choppy cross-on, the swell jumps up to 7ft on the Thursday morning with a very high combined energy (2079), but it’s blown out and messy. That’s big, junky, and not for the faint-hearted. Honestly, the setup on the 3rd looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Friday the 4th of September sees the swell drop back to 5ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy in the morning. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-shore breeze, but it’s still just marginal.

Alright, here’s the first real standout. Saturday the 5th of September offers an excellent session for experienced surfers in the afternoon. The swell is a clean 5ft from the SSW with a long-period groundswell of 16 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1580). The wind goes cross-off, making it clean as a whistle. The period is long, so on this reef break, look for those set waves to stand up and wall up. This is the pick of the first week.

Sunday the 6th of September should see clean conditions again, with glassy winds in the morning cleaning up a 4ft south swell (964 energy). The afternoon flips to a moderate offshore wind, keeping it clean. Good follow-up day.

Monday the 7th stays on the small side with glassy 3ft SSW swell. That’s a great, easy longboard or funboard morning.

The pattern then settles into a long run of clean, but small conditions right through to Saturday the 12th of September. The swell hangs around the 2ft to 4ft range, with regular glassy or offshore periods. Crowds are often here, so with these tiny, clean waves, expect a few locals out.

The real long-range promise lies on Thursday the 10th of September morning. We get a spike of 6ft from the SE, but it’s coming in with onshore wind, so it’s hard to get excited about that one. But the following days drop back to clean, tidy lines.

Sunday the 14th of September closes the forecast out with tiny, glassy waves at 2ft (329 energy), but a very long-period SSW groundswell of 18 seconds. On a reef, even a tiny wave with that energy can produce a fun little runner.

If you want the one true standout to plan for, it’s the Saturday the 5th of September afternoon session. That’s where the combination of 5ft SSW groundswell, cross-off wind, and a reef that loves that direction will give you the best session of the whole outlook.

Stay salty.

Rusty.

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