Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s cookin’ for Zippers-Costa Azul. It’s a beach and reef setup, and the water’s a steaming 85°F – that’s 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be wearing boardshorts, not a spring suit.

Right now, Saturday afternoon the 11th, we’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period and a moderate breeze coming cross-off from the WSW. The energy’s moderate (688), but the scores are low – it’s a bit marginal, so don’t expect much.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th stay pretty weak, with wave heights around 3ft to 3ft and light winds, but the surf’s poor to marginal. The swell direction’s SSW, but the wind’s on or cross-shore, making it hard to get excited.

Tuesday the 14th brings a pulse of longer-period groundswell – 2ft from the SW at 18 seconds, but with a light cross breeze. The energy’s moderate (533), but it’s still marginal. Wednesday the 15th is similar, with a 3ft SE swell in the afternoon, but rain showers and a cross breeze keep it from firing.

Now, Thursday the 16th – things get interesting. Morning sees a 6ft SSE swell with a 13-second period and light cross-onshore wind. The energy jumps to strong (1258), but the wind’s a bit messy. The afternoon drops to 6ft, but the breeze picks up to a moderate breeze, making it choppy. Still, it’s the biggest swell so far, and if you can handle the wind, there’s potential.

Friday the 17th is a write-off. A massive 13ft S swell rolls in with a 12-second period, but the wind’s a fresh 35 km/h from the ESE, and there’s heavy rain. The energy’s through the roof (8236), but it’s a mess – only for the brave, and even then, it’s more kite-surfing territory.

Saturday the 18th calms down a bit. The morning’s still poor with 6ft S swell and onshore wind, but the afternoon improves to 5ft with a light cross breeze from the ENE. Still marginal.

The next week is a mixed bag of marginal surf and poor conditions, with small swells and onshore winds. The standout comes on Friday the 24th. The afternoon brings a 2ft groundswell from the SSW with a very long 24-second period and a gentle offshore wind from the WNW. The energy’s moderate (772), but the conditions are clean – expect very good surf for its size. It’s a glassy gem, but small, so you’ll need a longboard.

Then, Saturday the 25th is the best on offer. The morning sees a 6ft S swell with a 12-second period and a light cross-off breeze from the WSW. The energy’s strong (1792), and it’s clean – excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon steps it up to 8ft from the S with a 14-second period and a gentle cross-off breeze. The energy’s very strong (3618), and it’s clean again. This is the one to aim for – solid, well-shaped waves, and the S direction suits the break’s optimum. Crowds are likely, as it’s often busy, but for this quality, it’s worth it.

Sunday the 26th holds decent size at 8ft to 10ft from the S, but the wind swings cross-onshore, so it’s a bit lumpy. Still, for the big-wave hunters, there’s plenty of power.

Overall, the first week is a slow grind with marginal conditions, but the second half delivers a proper weekend blast on the 25th. Keep your eyes on that Saturday.

Rusty.

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