Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into this one.

We’ve got a solid run of SSW groundswell coming through. The early part of the week has some clean windows, but the real highlight is way out at the end of the month. Here’s how it shakes out.

Friday the 14th starts off bad with an onshore breeze and only 3ft of swell. Don’t bother. But by Friday afternoon, it cleans right up. You’ve got a solid 5ft SW swell with a long 17-second period and a light cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong. This is a proper session for intermediate surfers at Zippers-Costa Azul – the reef and beach combo should be serving up some nicely shaped waves.

Saturday the 15th is mixed. The morning’s blown out, but Saturday afternoon drops back to 4ft SSW with a cross-offshore breeze. Cleaner, but the energy has eased. Decent for a late one.

Sunday the 16th morning is a gem. The wind goes glassy, the swell sits at 4ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is still moderate. That glassy wind is a huge plus. The best, cleanest waves of the first few days. Afternoon gets a bit sketchy with thunderstorms possible and a cross-shore wind.

Monday the 17th afternoon is worth a look – a clean 4ft SSW swell, cross-offshore breeze, and good energy. Not huge, but tidy.

Then we hit a lull. From Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 20th, the swell drops under 3ft. The surf gets weaker and less consistent. You could still find a wave on the better tides.

Friday the 21st afternoon is interesting for a last-ditch session – glassy wind, but the swell is only 2ft. Super small. Grab a log.

Now, here’s the big one. A huge pulse shows up on Monday the 24th of August. That morning you’ve got a solid 10ft SSE swell, but the wind is onshore (ESE at 12 mph) and the period is short (10 seconds), so it’s going to be a lumpy, windy mess. Afternoon pushes up to 12ft SSE, same short period, still onshore. The energy is massive, but the wind just tears it apart. This is more for the kite crowd, not for paddling.

The true standout is Wednesday the 26th of August. Morning and afternoon both have that magic combo: 5ft SSW swell, a 12-second period, and glassy off the water. The energy is healthy. The wind is barely a whisper. This is easily the best session of the entire 16-day window. It’s clean, punchy, and just the right size for intermediates to have a ball out at Zippers. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Thursday the 27th is still surfable with 4ft SW, but a light cross-onshore wind will put a bit of a crinkle on the face.

After that, we’re done. Friday the 28th gets hit with a gale-force wind (40 mph ENE) and Saturday the 29th has a fresh onshore howl. The window closes hard.

So to sum it up: your best bets are Friday afternoon the 14th for a clean intro, Sunday morning the 16th for glassy conditions, and Wednesday the 26th of August is the day to circle. That’s the one that’ll have you smiling.

Rusty.

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