The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for The Rock-Costa Azul. We’ve got a mixed bag of small, clean windows and a promising pulse late in the run, so let’s break it down.

We’re kicking off with a bit of a wait, unfortunately. The surf is small and messy from Monday the 17th through the first half of the week. Monday morning has a weak 4ft SW swell with a cross-on breeze, not worth the wetsuit. The combined swell energy is moderate at 499, but the conditions are just off. The water is a notable 89°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 7° warmer than average.

Things start to look a little better on Thursday afternoon the 20th. The swell drops to 3ft from the SSW, but the wind goes clean, cross-off from the WSW. It’s still small, but you’ll get a few if you’re patient. Friday morning the 21st is a write-off with tiny 2ft surf, but the afternoon cleans up again with a 2ft SSW swell and a moderate cross-off breeze. That same pattern repeats through Saturday the 22nd – the morning is junk, but Saturday afternoon goes glassy with a 3ft SSW groundswell (16-second period). That’s a standout window for the week. The long period will give the reef some extra push, but keep in mind it can make the wave a bit more straight-breaking at times.

Sunday the 23rd is a bit of a washout with onshore wind and only 2ft surf, but Monday the 24th has some cleaner cross-off conditions with a 3ft SW swell, period up to 17 seconds. Energy is moderate to strong at 637. Tuesday the 25th is another small but clean day – glassy morning and cross-off afternoon with a 2ft SW swell. Wednesday the 26th afternoon is the real gem of the first week: offshore wind from the W, 2ft SW swell, clean conditions. That’s your best bet for a fun, small session.

Now, into the second week, we’ve got a bit of a lull through Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th morning, but Friday afternoon picks up to 4ft SSW with a cross-off breeze – energy jumping to 926. That’s a solid setup.

But the real standout of the whole 16-day run lands on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning shows 5ft SW swell with a cross-on breeze, but the afternoon is where it’s at: 5ft SSW, 16-second period, cross-off wind, and a combined energy of 1126. That’s moderate-to-strong energy. The forecast calls for excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on your calendar. It’s still a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are good. The size is over 5ft, so this is for experienced crew only.

Sunday the 30th keeps the energy going with 5ft SSW in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, both with clean winds. The morning swell is borderline for beginners at that height. Monday the 31st is smaller again but clean in the afternoon, and Tuesday the 1st of September closes out with glassy conditions and a very long-period 2ft to 3ft SW swell (17-18 seconds). That long period will make for some proper groundswell lines on the reef, but again, it can be a bit straight at a beach break.

This spot is a consistent, advanced reef break that’s exposed to the S. It gets crowded often, so expect company, especially on the better days. The optimum direction is from the S, and we’re seeing a lot of SSW and SW swells, which are close but not dead-on. Still, when the wind and tide line up, The Rock can fire.

Rusty out.

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