Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Zippers-Costa Azul. The long and short of it is, we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the back half of the window has some real promise if you’re patient.

Right now, the water is running at 86°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. You won’t need a thick wetsuit, that’s for sure.

The first few days are pretty flat and messy. Thursday the 9th has some waist-high swell at 4ft from the SSW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The problem is a cross-on shore breeze making it choppy and poor. The wave energy is moderate (790), but the quality just isn’t there. Friday through Sunday the 12th is all marginal at best, with heights dropping to 4ft and the wind staying on it or cross. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are still small, with swell dropping to 2ft-3ft. The periods are long, and the winds are light, but there’s just not enough push. The energy drops to a moderate 447. It’s a bit of a waiting game.

Then we see a pulse building around Thursday the 16th, with the swell picking up to 5ft-6ft from the SSE. The period is a solid 12 seconds, and the energy climbs to 1097. The wind is still cross-on, but it’s light, so there’s some hope for cleaner waves. Friday the 17th looks a bit bigger at 6ft, but the wind swings onshore and gets stronger, making it choppy.

Here’s the standout. You want to circle Monday the 20th on your calendar. The morning is looking glassy – yes, glassy with a 4ft swell from the SW and a period of 16 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, which means good shape and energy, with longer lulls between sets. The combined swell energy is a strong 1353. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The wind is dead calm, so Zippers will be clean. The swell direction (SW) matches the optimum direction (S) very closely. This is the best on offer. The afternoon keeps it clean with a light offshore breeze.

After that, the swell fades again through the 22nd to 24th, with smaller waves and periods dropping. The 24th of July has a fun little bump of 4ft from the south with a light offshore wind, but it’s a short period swell (10-11 seconds). It’s a good finisher for the week, but not a patch on the 20th.

Keep an eye on the swell around the 18th and 19th. It gets big – 8ft to 10ft – but that’s only for experts, and the wind is messy. At 10ft, that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session for most.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off, but that Monday the 20th is the real deal. Get on it.

Rusty.

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