The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for this stretch of coast.

The first few days are a bit of a tease – small, clean-ish waves but honestly nothing to get too excited about. The real action starts to build later in the run, and there are a couple of absolute standouts for the experienced crew. The Rock-Costa Azul is a reef break, so it’s one for the advanced surfers only.

Right off the bat, Thursday 9th July and Friday 10th July are pretty marginal. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the SSW, with a solid 15-second period, so there’s some groundswell energy in the water (674). The water temperature is a whopping 86°, which is 8° warmer than usual for this time of year – seriously unusual, you’ll barely need a wetsuit. But the wind is cross or cross-onshore, making it a bit choppy, so the scores are low. The best of this early stretch is Saturday 11th July afternoon and Sunday 12th July afternoon, where the wind turns cross-offshore and it cleans right up, still with that 4ft SSW swell. It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Monday 13th July afternoon is the first real glimpse of something good. The wind is light cross-offshore, the swell drops to 3ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is 506. It’s clean, but small. The next few mornings are tiny and not worth paddling out for.

Then Wednesday 15th July afternoon, the swell swings around to the SE at 4ft with a short 10-second period, but the wind is clean cross-offshore and the energy is 551. It’s a fun little session if you’re keen.

The big turn comes late in the period. On Thursday 16th July, the swell jumps to 5–6ft from the SSE, with a 12-second period and energy ramping up to 1037. The wind is cross-onshore though, so it’s choppy and messy. Friday 17th and Saturday 18th July see a stormy pulse – 10ft to 12ft from the S with strong onshore winds and risk of thunderstorms. The energy is massive (2851–3567), but the conditions are poor. This is too big and messy for paddle surfing – it’s more of a kite-surfing setup.

Now, the standouts. Sunday 19th July morning is the best of the whole outlook. The wind goes glassy, with a 4ft swell from the SW at a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is 1043. That’s a clean, powerful groundswell on a reef break – it’s going to be perfect for the advanced crew. Expect excellent waves, but with that long period, the sets will be well-spaced, so you’ll have time to get into position. The break is a reef, so it’ll hold that energy beautifully. Also, Monday 20th July afternoon is another cracker – 4ft from the SSW at 16 seconds, with light cross-offshore wind and energy at 1070. Clean, glassy conditions again.

Be warned: Wednesday 22nd July morning and afternoon sees a massive 12ft to 13ft swell from the S, with energy over 5000. The wind is favourable, but that’s way too big for this break – expert only, and even then, it’s borderline dangerous. Thursday 23rd cools down to a more manageable 7–8ft from the SW, with clean cross-offshore winds in the afternoon, so if you’re an experienced surfer, that’s a solid session.

Overall, the best on offer is Sunday 19th July morning and Monday 20th July afternoon. Mark them in the calendar – glassy, long-period groundswell, and a reef break that’ll handle it perfectly. The Rock-Costa Azul can get crowded often, so get there early.

Rusty.

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