The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for The Rock-Costa Azul region.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a tricky start. The first recommendation doesn’t come until Tuesday the 2nd, and even then it’s not good. The first few days are a write-off for decent paddle surfing, with poor conditions on the 1st and some serious size coming in on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th that is just too big for this break. We’re talking swell heights of 10 ft to 13 ft. The combined energy on the 3rd afternoon is a massive 5284 (very strong energy), but with onshore and cross-onshore winds, it’s a messy, blown-out situation. That’s not for the average punter; it's expert-only if anything, and even then, the wind is a problem.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is the morning of Monday the 7th of September. That’s where it all comes together. The Rock-Costa Azul is a reef break, and we’ve got a clean 3 ft swell rolling in from the SSW, which is darn close to that optimum S direction. The period is 14 seconds – a proper groundswell with plenty of push, and perfect for this kind of setup. The best part? Glassy conditions. The wind is NW at just 3 mph, and the water is glassy. It’s going to be clean as a whistle. Combined energy is 841 (moderate wave energy), so there’s power there without being a brute. The water temp is 88°F and the anomaly is 5°F, so it’s much warmer than normal for this time of year. This is the top pick – a short window of pure magic.

The afternoon of the 7th is also okay, with glassy winds and 4 ft swell, but the swell direction is a bit more W, less ideal than the morning. Still a good session.

After that, we drop back into smaller, cleaner but less powerful surf. The 8th and 9th of September have clean conditions (cross-off and offshore winds) with swell around 2 ft to 4 ft, periods in that 13 to 17-second range – nice and lined up for a reef. The combined energy is moderate (around 200-800 range). The 9th afternoon has a 4 ft SW swell with a 17-second period, and clean conditions. That’s a lovely session for a log or a mid-length.

There’s then a bit of a gap with marginal conditions on the 10th morning, but the afternoon of the 10th turns glassy again with a 4 ft SW swell, 16-second period – real quality, but the energy is moderate.

The morning of the 11th of September is another glassy standout. Zero wind, totally calm, with a 3 ft SSW swell (perfect direction) and a 15-second period. Combined energy 504 – moderate, but the conditions will make it feel like a million bucks.

From the 12th onwards, we’re into a long run of clean but small surf, with swell heights dropping to 2 ft to 3 ft. Periods are still okay (13-18 seconds), and there’s a mix of glassy and clean cross-off conditions, especially on the 12th and 13th afternoons, and again the 16th afternoon. Nothing that will blow your socks off, but for a quiet, uncrowded session on a small day, there are options. The crowds here are noted as “often,” so expect company on the good days, especially the 7th.

To sum it up: the absolute gem is the morning of Monday the 7th of September. The 9th afternoon and the 11th morning are also strong. Everything else is clean but small, and the first few days are blown-out and oversized.

Stay stoked, catch you in the water.

- Rusty

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