Zicatela Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. I'm gonna take you through what we've got coming up at Zicatela over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems if you time it right.

The water's sitting at a warm 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We kick off properly on the morning of Friday, August 14. That first Thursday afternoon is a no-go. Friday morning though, that's the one. We're looking at a clean 4ft groundswell from the SSW, running with a very long 18-second period. That's serious energy. The combined energy reading is strong at 1123, and with a glassy ESE breeze, it’s going to be well-shaped. This is classic Zicatela – those long-period swells wrap in perfectly here, offering some real power. It's a bit of a step up for the average surfer though, so heads up.

Then Saturday, August 15, morning session is a close second. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and it's dead calm – completely glassy. The energy is still very high at 1169. That's a prime window for an intermediate looking to get a serious workout. The water will be clean and the sets will have some grunt.

Sunday morning the 16th and Monday morning the 17th keep the trend going with smaller but still very clean 4ft and 4ft swells under glassy conditions. Good for a longboard if you want to avoid the crowd that will be out on the bigger days.

Things get a little inconsistent from the 19th onwards, with the swell dropping and some cross-onshore winds messing with the surface. There are some small windows here and there – like the morning of the 22nd with a 3ft, 16-second groundswell under glassy skies – but the quality takes a dip. The afternoon of the 22nd actually jumps up to a messy 7ft from the SSE with a short 8-second period and wind chop. That's going to be a washing machine, and honestly, it looks more like a day for the kite crew than for paddling a surfboard.

We get a bit of a reset towards the end. The morning of Friday, August 28, is looking promising again. A 4ft from the SW with a 17-second period, glassy conditions, and a combined energy of 966. That's a solid, clean session waiting to happen, and it’s far enough out to have an eye on.

Overall, the absolute standout is that Friday, August 14 morning. It’s the cleanest, most powerful start to the run. Saturday morning the 15th is right there with it. After that, pick your mornings carefully for the clean windows. The rest is mostly small or wind-affected until that final Friday.

- Rusty

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