Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, gather 'round. Rusty here, and I've got the lowdown on the next couple of weeks for Zippers-Costa Azul. We're looking at a real mixed bag, so let's get into it.

The water is sitting at a warm 86°F, which is a solid 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year, so it's much warmer than usual. You'll be fine in a shorty or boardies.

We start off on Tuesday, the 21st of July. The afternoon sees a 6ft swell from the SSW, but it's a bit of a messy one. The wind is a cross-shore from the SW at 9 mph, creating some chop. The combined energy is a solid 1251 (moderate), but the conditions are just marginal. It's surfable, but don't expect perfection.

Wednesday the 22nd looks better. The morning is still a bit cross-shore, but by the afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the W at only 3 mph. That's going to clean things up nicely. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy is 773 (moderate). The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions," and with that clean wind, it's a solid option.

Thursday morning, the 23rd, is a highlight. We've got a glassy 2ft wave from the SW. The wind is a perfect glass from the S at 3 mph. The period is a long 13 seconds, which means it's a proper groundswell. The energy is low at 276, but for a clean, long-period swell, it'll be fun. This is a good one for a longboard or a fish.

Friday the 24th is a bit of a weird one. The morning has a tiny 2ft swell with a massive 24-second period from the SSW. That's a very long period groundswell. The energy is moderate at 586, but it's a bit onshore. The afternoon sees the swell pick up to 4ft with a 21-second period from the SW, and the energy jumps to 1276. But the wind is cross-shore again. Those super long periods mean the waves will be very straight, so it's a spot for the point break and reef at Zippers, not the beach.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see bigger swell, with the 6ft range and moderate energy, but the wind is either cross or cross-onshore, keeping things a bit lumpy. The wave energy is strong, hitting 2203 on Saturday afternoon, but the quality isn't there.

The real standout, the one true gem in this window, is the Thursday morning, 31st of July. The swell is a clean 5ft from the WSW with a period of 10 seconds, but the wind is glassy from the SSW at 3 mph. The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions." The energy is moderate at 849. It's going to be perfectly clean and glassy. Given the break is exposed to the S, this WSW swell should set up nicely. Crowds are "often" here, so expect a few heads out, but for this kind of quality, it'll be worth it.

Then on the 1st of August, Saturday morning, we have another glassy session, but the swell has dropped to just 3ft from the SSW. It's a fun-sized morning, but not as punchy as the 31st.

After that, from the 2nd of August onwards, the swell fades away into small, weak, and often choppy conditions. The wind gets messy, and the energy drops to the 100-300 range, which is weak. There's a long stretch of nothing much to write home about.

So, to sum it up: the first week has some building swell but with inconsistent wind. The best bet is the glassy Thursday the 23rd morning for small clean waves, and the absolute standout is the glassy, clean session on Thursday morning the 31st of July. That's your window to get some proper, lined-up waves. The rest is a bit of a gamble or a flat spell.

Rusty out.

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