Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Zippers-Costa Azul, a beach and reef setup that’s got a bit of a mixed bag ahead. The water is sitting at 85.1°, which is a solid 5.4° warmer than what’s normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual and you’ll feel it – no need for a thick wetsuit, that’s for sure.

The early part of the week is a bit of a struggle. Sunday morning (July 19th) kicks off with a weak 3.6ft SW swell at a very long 17 seconds, but it’s cross-on and the energy is only moderate (1025). It’s choppy and disappointing. Sunday afternoon drops to 2.6ft, and it’s still not great. Monday morning (July 20th) is onshore and messy with a 3.3ft SSW swell, and the score is low. Monday afternoon sees a cleaner cross-off wind, but the swell is only 4.3ft and the period is still long at 16 seconds – the energy is moderate (989), but it’s not exciting.

Tuesday morning (July 21st) is a bit of a write-off: light wind, but cross-on, with a 3.6ft SW swell. The energy is moderate (596). The afternoon gets a slight lift with a cross-off breeze and a 3.9ft SSW swell, period 14 seconds. The energy is moderate (727), and it’s clean. It’s a small step up, but not a standout.

Now, Wednesday July 22nd is where things start to get interesting. The morning swell builds to 6.2ft from the SSW with a period of 12 seconds, and the energy jumps to strong (1310). It’s cross-on, so there’s some bump, but the afternoon is the real deal. The wind swings to a light cross-off, the swell drops to a solid 5.9ft from the SW, and the energy is still strong (1100). The water is clean, and this is shaping up as excellent for experienced surfers. This is one of the better windows in the whole run.

Thursday July 23rd is a drop-off. The morning has an onshore wind and a 4.9ft SW swell, but the period is down to 11 seconds and the energy is moderate (844). It’s messy. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is weak at 3.6ft.

Friday July 24th is a real tale of two sessions. The morning is terrible: tiny 2.0ft SSW swell with a very long 24-second period, cross-on wind, and weak energy (584). That long period is going to make it hard to link up at a beach-reef spot. But the afternoon is a total turnaround. The wind goes light cross-off, the swell jumps to 3.6ft from the SW, the period is still very long at 21 seconds, and the energy spikes to strong (1340). The water is glassy clean. This is a top-quality session for those who can handle the long lulls and the walled-up lines.

Saturday July 25th looks promising again. The morning starts with a glassy offshore wind from the SSE, a 3.9ft SW swell at a very long 20 seconds, and strong energy (1313). The afternoon is even better: a clean cross-off breeze, a 5.2ft SW swell, super long period of 19 seconds, and the energy is very strong (2024). This is another standout session for experienced surfers. The long period means the waves will have real punch, but the sets will be widely spaced.

Sunday July 26th is a solid day. The morning has a light cross-shore wind and a 4.6ft SW swell at 18 seconds, with strong energy (1583). The afternoon is clean with a 4.9ft SSW swell, period 18 seconds, and very strong energy (2057). It’s consistent and good.

Now, the second week gets a bit wild. Monday July 27th sees a big jump in energy. The morning is a gnarly 5.9ft SSE swell with a 14

Read more