The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming our way.

We’ve got a solid window of activity kicking off Sunday, July 26th, and it’s gonna be a wild ride for the advanced crew. The first few days are all about one spot: The Rock-Costa Azul (Costa Azul). This reef break is consistent and exposed, and it’s been dialed in for a south swell. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

Sunday morning, July 26th, we’re looking at a 5 ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell, the kind that wraps around points and reefs. The combined energy is strong at 1492. The wind is a light cross-shore from the SSW at 10 km/h, but the report says "marginal" – might be a tide thing. Sunday afternoon picks up a touch to 5 ft from the SW, with a 12 mph cross-offshore breeze, and the energy jumps to 1802. The waves are clean, but it’s not the standout.

Monday, July 27th, gets a bit chunkier. Morning sees 8 ft from the SSE with a 15-second period – that’s a lot of water, with energy at 4956. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so there’s a little chop. Afternoon drops to 8 ft from the S, but the wind picks up to 16 mph cross-offshore, keeping it clean.

Now, Tuesday, July 28th morning is the standout. The swell hits 10 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 4324. But here’s the catch: the wind is a light 3 mph offshore from the SE, and it’s glassy. The report says it’s too big for this break, so only the experts need apply. This is a heavy, powerful wave at a reef. If you’re not absolutely on your game, stay on the beach. Afternoon drops to 7 ft, but the wind swings to a 16 mph cross-offshore, which cleans it up, but the energy is still strong at 3391.

Wednesday, July 29th morning is another gem. The swell is 6 ft from the SSW, 16-second period, but the wind is a glassy 3 mph from the west. The energy is 1964, and it’s described as "excellent for experienced surfers." That’s a rare combo of clean conditions and solid, long-period groundswell at a reef. Wednesday afternoon switches to a fresh 19 mph offshore from the WNW, still 5 ft, so it’s clean but a bit more challenging with the wind.

Thursday, July 30th, we’re easing off. Morning and afternoon both have 4 ft SW swells, 14-second period, with light cross-offshore winds. Energy is around 1272 and 1102. Clean, but not pumping.

After that, the energy drops. Friday, July 31st, we’re down to 3 ft, and the period shortens to 13 seconds. The week after that, from August 1st through the 10th, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell shrinks to under 3 ft, and the energy dips into the low hundreds. There’s a gap of about 9 days, from August 1st to August 9th, where there’s really nothing worthwhile. The winds are messy, and there’s even a risk of thunderstorms, with gusts up to 43 mph on August 9th. That’s not surf weather, that’s kite-surfing weather if you’re mad enough.

The best bet in this whole run is the Tuesday, July 28th morning session, with the 10 ft groundswell. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s for experts only. The Wednesday morning glass-off is a close second for the slightly smaller but still solid crew. After that, it’s a waiting game until the energy picks up again around August 10th, when we see a 2 ft S swell with a 19-second period, but that’s a long way off and nothing special.

Rusty signing off.

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