The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s coming up for The Rock-Costa Azul. This reef break is consistent and exposed, so it can handle a good push of swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

We’ve got a strong start to the period. The first few days, from Saturday the 5th through to Monday the 7th, are the real standout window. Saturday morning we’ve got a solid 5ft swell rolling in from the SSW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy is a hefty 1560 (strong to very strong). This is excellent surf, but at 5ft on a reef with a long period, it’s for the experienced crew only. The swell direction is a touch off the optimum, but with that power and those clean conditions, the quality will be there. Saturday afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore breeze from the WNW, with the swell holding at 5ft. Sunday morning is a little smaller at 4ft, but still with that long 15-second period and clean conditions, making for more excellent waves. Monday morning sees the swell drop to 4ft, but it’s glassy again, with very good conditions. After that, the energy starts to fade.

From Tuesday the 8th through the middle of the month, the size drops off. We’re looking at waves mostly in the 2ft to 4ft range. The combined energy dips into the 200s and 500s (weak to moderate). There are some clean windows, like Tuesday afternoon and through the weekend, but the swell is smaller and the period shortens. It’s still rideable but nothing to get too excited about.

The second week shows a bit of a pulse returning around the 15th and 16th of September, with swell climbing back to 3ft and periods around 15-16 seconds. The combined energy starts to build again, hitting 510 (moderate) on the morning of the 17th with glassy conditions. That’s a promising sign. The real highlight in the longer range comes on the 17th of September: Thursday afternoon we get a 3ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 21 seconds. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy jumps to 894 (moderate). This is a very clean, long-period groundswell that will bring some excellent shaped waves to the reef. It’s a long way out, but it looks like a beauty.

So, the best on offer is the opening weekend from Saturday the 5th to Monday the 7th, with that strong, clean groundswell. The other standout is the very long-period pulse on the afternoon of Thursday the 17th of September. Longer period swells like that can be a bit tricky at beach breaks, but on a reef setup like this, they’re pure magic.

Rusty.

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