Zicatela Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Zicatela. We’ve got a solid run of surf on the cards, with the biggest, cleanest conditions shaping up mid-week into the weekend. The water is sitting at a warm 87°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year—so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We start off on Wednesday, September 2nd, with a light morning cross-shore breeze and a 4ft SSW swell. It’s a bit marginal right now, but the energy is there with moderate combined swell energy (857). The real story kicks off on Thursday, September 3rd. The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a 3ft SW swell rocking an 18-second period—that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy sits at 800 (moderate), and the water is glassy clean. This is a beautiful window for a longboard or a funboard; the sets will be clean, lined up, and easy to pick off.

Friday, September 4th, is where Zicatela starts to flex. Morning glass once again, with a 6ft SW swell and a 17-second period. The combined energy jumps to 1903 (strong), so the power is legit. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers—size is pushing into that expert territory, so if you’re not comfortable in overhead waves, maybe watch from the sand. The swell direction is SSW, right in the sweet spot for this exposed spot. The wind stays glassy all morning, so expect clean, heavy lines.

Saturday, September 5th, delivers more of the same: another glassy morning, 6ft SW swell, 16-second period, combined energy at 1682 (strong). This is the real standout of the whole forecast. The consistency is there, the wind is perfect, and the break is exposed to the SSW direction that Zicatela loves. The only thing to watch is that long-period groundswell can make it a bit tricky at a beach break—sets will be powerful with longer waits, so your paddle fitness needs to be on point. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.

Sunday, September 6th, still offering good morning glass and a solid 5ft SSW swell (15-second period, combined energy 1061—moderate to strong). This is still excellent for experienced surfers, but the size is dropping a touch. Monday morning, September 7th, brings a light breeze and a 4ft SSW swell—clean, fun, but smaller. Tuesday, September 8th, is back to glassy but the swell drops to 2ft with an 18-second period (combined energy 659, moderate). Still worth a paddle if you’re keen on clean small waves. The rest of the second week sees sizes bouncing between 2ft and 4ft, mostly with glassy mornings and onshore afternoons, but nothing that screams epic. Thursday, September 17th, shows a promising glassy morning with a 4ft SW swell and combined energy up to 957 (moderate), but it’s a long way out—promising but less certain. After the big stuff fades around September 6th–7th, there’s a gap of smaller, less consistent days, so make the most of that first week.

Overall, your best bet is Friday, September 4th, through Saturday, September 5th—both mornings are glassy, the swell is strong and long-period, and direction is ideal. Get out there and enjoy it.

Rusty

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