Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Zippers-Costa Azul. We've got a bit of a slow start, but there's a promise of some serious juice later on.

First up, Zippers is a beach and reef setup, and it's exposed to the swell. The water is running at a steamy 84°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 6° above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The opening days are a bit of a tease. We're looking at Monday the 6th through to the middle of the second week with mostly marginal conditions. There's always some swell in the water, around 3ft to 5ft from the SSW, but the wind is a problem. It's mostly cross or cross-onshore, putting a chop on the face. The swell energy is moderate, sitting between 690 and 1541 units. The Tuesday the 7th has a bit more size at 5ft to 5ft, but the cross-shore wind means it'll be a bumpy ride. There's a decent period on the swell, hitting 18 to 20 seconds early on, which means long-period groundswell that can make the beach breaks a bit straight, but Zippers being a reef helps hold it together.

Friday the 11th afternoon shows a flicker of hope. The wind swings cross-offshore and the swell is 4ft from the SSW, cleaning it right up. That's your best bet for a sneaky session in the first week.

Then things go flat. From around Monday the 13th, we drop to 2ft to 3ft, and the score drops right off. A few clean afternoons pop up on the 13th and 14th, but with tiny swell, it's a log-in-the-whitewash kind of deal.

Now, here's the real story. Hold onto your boards. On Thursday the 16th of July, we get a monster. The morning kicks off with a 8ft SSE swell that's already too big for beginners. But the afternoon... the afternoon shows a predicted 33ft swell from the SSE, with a combined energy reading of 40068 – that is incredibly strong wave energy. The wind is cross-shore, but the swell size is so massive it's only for absolute experts. Even the 8ft morning is expert-only territory.

After that, it drops back down but stays chunky. Friday the 17th still has 8ft from the SE, then 6ft in the afternoon. The period drops quickly though, to 9-10 seconds, meaning it's less powerful and a bit more crumbly. That afternoon of the 17th is still solid, but the wind is up.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th turns into a write-off with onshore winds and risk of thunderstorms. The swell is all over the place and messy.

Looking further out, the 20th and 21st of July show some real promise. Monday the 20th afternoon has a clean, cross-offshore wind with 4ft of SSW swell. Then Tuesday the 21st is the standout of the second week. We've got clean, glassy mornings with a light offshore and a 4ft SW swell, and the afternoon picks up a solid offshore breeze with 4ft from the SSW. That's the one to circle on your calendar – clean, decent waves, good energy levels around 1050.

Overall, Zippers is a consistent break, so it tends to bounce back. The first week is a grind for a clean wave, but the 11th and 21st are your golden tickets. And for the big boys, the 16th is an absolute monster, but only if you've got the nerve.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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