Zicatela Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks at Zicatela.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, starting this Sunday, September 13th, and stretching all the way through to the end of the month. The swell’s coming from the south-west, which is exactly what this place needs for that long, left-hand wall. Early on the water’s a touch warmer than normal at 88°, so it feels like a warm bath out there.

First call is this Sunday morning. It’s glassy, it’s clean, with a 2ft SW swell at 13 seconds. It ain’t big, but it’s a perfect start. The combined energy is moderate (238). Good for a warm-up.

Monday and Tuesday stay pretty consistent with knee to waist-high sets, but the wind gets a bit messy in the afternoons. The mornings are still worth a look though, especially Wednesday the 16th. That morning is a standout: glassy conditions, a 4ft SSW swell with a period of 16 seconds. The energy is strong (986). This is where the quality starts to ramp up.

Thursday the 17th is another cracker of a morning – dead calm, glassy, and that 4ft SSW groundswell has some serious push. It’s clean, it’s hollow, and it’s got that Zicatela power. For an intermediate surfer, this is the sweet spot.

The following week, the morning windows continue to shine. Saturday the 20th morning has excellent surf: 4ft at 19 seconds from the SW, glassy, and the energy is pumping at (1213). This is for the experienced crew. The crowd is something to keep in mind here – this spot gets busy, and it’s a bit of a zoo. But when it’s glassy and lined up, it’s worth the fight for a wave.

The real standout, the one to mark on your calendar, is the morning of Sunday, September 21st. 4ft SW swell, 17-second period, glassy as a mirror, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The energy is strong (1108). This is the pick of the whole run – big, clean, and powerful. If you can only paddle out once, make it that morning.

Things taper off gently towards the end of the month. The mornings stay glassy with clean 3ft to 4ft SW swells, but the periods drop down into the 12-14 second range by the final week. The energy weakens a bit, but it’s still fun. The afternoon seabreezes and a chance of a thunderstorm will mess up the surface later in the day, so stick to the dawn patrol.

Overall, this is a great stretch for Zicatela. No massive 10ft bombs, but a long run of clean, punchy, good-quality groundswell with plenty of strong energy in the morning. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty.

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