Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Zippers-Costa Azul (Costa Azul). The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. Thursday and Friday the 9th and 10th are small and messy, with a cross-onshore breeze spoiling what little push there is. You’d be fighting chop for waist-high dribble. Not worth the paddle.

Saturday the 11th shows a bit of life. The morning still has a cross-onshore wind, but the afternoon turns clean with a light cross-offshore breeze out of the WSW. Swell is a modest 4ft from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds, giving it a bit of shape. The combined energy is moderate (665). It’s a consistent spot, so you’ll get waves, but it’s not going to blow your mind. Sunday the 12th is a repeat of that – clean afternoons, but the size is still small.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are tiny. The swell drops right off, with wave heights below 3ft. The energy is weak (406-533). The winds are light, but there’s just not enough ocean to get excited about.

Now, Wednesday the 15th is where things get interesting. Overnight, a new swell fills in. The morning has a 5ft swell from the SE with a 16-second period, and the wind is light and offshore. Combined energy jumps to 1410 – that’s solid moderate. The break is exposed to the south-east, so that direction hits it well. It’s going to be a bit inconsistent with that long period, but the sets that come through will have real power and shape. This is the standout morning of the whole run. The afternoon sees the swell pump up to 7ft from the SE, but the wind swings cross-shore and gets a bit stronger, so the morning is definitely the pick.

Thursday the 16th is big, I mean 10ft in the morning from the SSE. That’s getting into expert territory. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit of a bumpy, powerful mess. The combined energy is strong (2996). Only for the experienced crew on a big board.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are a write-off. The swell stays big, but the wind is onshore and strong, with rain and storms. The combined energy hits 5397 on Friday afternoon – that’s a lot of water moving, but it’s ugly. That setup would be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, to be honest.

We get a bit of a reset on Sunday the 19th. Swell drops to 3ft, period is a long 17 seconds from the SW. The afternoon goes clean with a cross-offshore wind. Small, but clean.

Then, Monday the 20th is your second standout. The morning is glassy – flat calm, with a light 4ft groundswell from the SW and a 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate (738). The forecast says “very good surf conditions.” It’s a consistent spot, and with offshore winds, it’ll be peeling nicely. The SW direction is spot-on for the break’s optimum. For a Monday, crowds are likely to be manageable, but this spot can get busy.

After that, the second week looks a bit mixed. Tuesday the 21st has a cross-onshore wind, so it’s not as clean. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd see a rise in swell again, up to 7-7ft from the SSW, but with a light cross-onshore wind. The energy is moderate to strong (1699-1802). It’s rideable, but not as clean as the Monday. Friday the 24th drops back down to 4ft and the wind is light cross-shore.

So, the true standouts are Wednesday the 15th morning and Monday the 20th. The 15th has the bigger, more powerful swell with offshore wind, and the 20th has that perfect glassy, clean condition with a nice, long-period groundswell. Get on it.

Rusty

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