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 over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the short-term ain’t looking too flash. Tuesday and Wednesday (September 8th and 9th) are a write-off—small, messy swell in the 2 to 4 ft range from the SSW/SW, with cross-onshore winds making things choppy and bumpy. Not worth paddling out for. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate (462 to 545), so you’re not missing much.

But here’s the good news: things start to clean up nicely from Thursday, September 10th. Thursday morning brings glassy conditions with a 4 ft SSW swell (period 16 seconds) and the combined energy building to 805 (moderate). That’s clean, lined-up surf and the wind is dead calm. That’s a solid morning session. Thursday afternoon stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze. Friday, September 11th, keeps the run going: offshore NW wind in the morning, 4 ft SW swell, period 15 seconds, and clean conditions. By Friday afternoon it’s glassy. Saturday morning (September 12th) is also glassy, with 3 ft SW swell. These are all good, fun waves for an intermediate surfer.

The standout window, though, is the long-range. From Thursday, September 17th afternoon through to Tuesday, September 22nd, it’s a solid run of quality. Thursday afternoon (17th) is glassy, 3 ft SSW swell, with the combined energy at 717 (moderate). Friday, September 18th, is glassy in the morning with a 3 ft SW swell but a long period of 19 seconds—that’s proper groundswell, and it’ll wrap in nicely at this beach-and-reef setup. The combined energy is 712 (moderate). Saturday, September 19th, is glassy all day, with the swell building to 3 ft SW by the afternoon and the combined energy jumping to 792 (moderate). Sunday, September 20th, is the absolute standout: glassy calm in the morning, 3 ft SW swell, then by the afternoon it’s a clean offshore NW breeze, 4 ft SW swell, and the combined energy hits 1190 (strong). That’s a proper session waiting to happen—excellent conditions for an experienced surfer. Monday and Tuesday (21st and 22nd) keep the good times rolling with clean, glassy or offshore winds and consistent 4 ft SW swell.

A couple of things to note: the water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. The optimum swell direction here is from the south, and the forecast keeps feeding in consistent SW/SSW groundswell, so the direction is spot on. Crowds are described as “often” at Zippers, so expect company, especially on those cleaner days.

Overall, don’t waste your time on the first few days. The real action kicks off from Thursday the 10th, but the best of the best is the run from Thursday the 17th through to Tuesday the 22nd. That Sunday the 20th afternoon is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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