The Rock-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

Alright, look, I'm not gonna lie to you – the next couple of weeks have a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s definitely some gold to be found if you pick your moments. We’ve got a solid run of swell from the south-southwest, and when the stars align, the Rock-Costa Azul is gonna be proper.

The standout session, without a doubt, is Saturday, August 22nd afternoon. The Rock is an exposed reef break that loves a south swell, and we’re getting a solid groundswell from the SSW at 3ft, with a juicy 16-second period. The water is sitting at a very warm 89°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the southwest at 9 mph, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy is a moderate 409, but don't let that fool you – that long period groundswell will wrap in and create some proper lines. This is the pick of the first week.

The next real highlight is Saturday, August 29th afternoon. The swell is up a bit to 5ft from the SSW, period still a solid 15 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1045. The wind goes glassy-light from the WSW at 3 mph – cross-off and clean. This is a session for experienced surfers, and it should be excellent.

Now, looking further ahead to Monday, August 31st, things get a bit bigger. We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the SSW on Monday morning, with a combined energy of 1793 – that’s strong. It’s 5ft or bigger, so the beginners might want to sit this one out. The wind is a light cross-off from the SW at 6 mph, so it should be clean. This is a solid swell but the period drops to 12-13 seconds, so it won’t be as clean as the longer-period stuff. Still, for the advanced crew, that’s a fun, punchy day.

Then we get a bit of a lull. The conditions get a bit average through the first few days of September. There’s one moment on Tuesday, September 1st morning that looks good – glassy conditions with a 4ft SSW swell, but the period is only 10 seconds. It’s a nice morning session.

After that, the wind gets ugly. We’ve got a stretch from September 2nd through the 5th where it’s onshore, choppy, and not worth paddling out. The swell is actually building – you’ll see it hit 10ft on the morning of Saturday, September 5th – but with the cross-onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine. At that size, it’s expert-only anyway, and with that wind, it’s more of a kitesurfing show than a surf session. The combined energy on that morning is a massive 3580, but it’s just not going to be rideable for a paddle surfer.

The period finally cleans up on Saturday, September 5th afternoon with a cross-off wind and a 7ft swell, but the period drops to 11 seconds, so it’s a bit shorter-period. Not a standout, but a salvageable afternoon.

Then the final window is Sunday, September 6th morning – a cleaner 4ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period and light cross-shore wind. It’s a nice, mellow end to the outlook.

So, to boil it down: your absolute best bets are the afternoon of Saturday, August 22nd for that long-period, clean glass, and the afternoon of Saturday, August 29th for the bigger, punchy, clean swell. The rest is a mix of decent morning windows and a lot of onshore wind.

Rusty.

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