Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about the waves on the Costa Azul for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t write it off. After a few days of weak dribble, the real pulse kicks in for the weekend and into the following week. The standout window looks to be from Saturday the 8th through Monday the 17th of August, with some proper quality on offer.

First up, Zippers-Costa Azul. It’s a consistent beach-and-reef setup that needs a south swell to really light up. Water’s about average for this time of year on the Big Island. The early part of the week is a bit of a write-off: Wednesday the 5th has a weak 2ft SW swell with a 14-second period but cross-on winds making a mess of it. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 6th afternoon is where we first see a pulse – 2ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period and clean cross-off wind. Wave energy is moderate (466). That’s a nice, clean start. Friday the 7th afternoon picks up with a 3ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and clean cross-off breeze (577 energy). Getting better.

Now for the highlight. Saturday morning, 8th August is where it’s at. Zippers has a 4ft SSW groundswell, 16-second period (long period), and glassy conditions with next to no wind. Energy is 670 – solid. That’s going to be smooth, lined-up, and clean. Perfect for an intermediate surfer. Expect fun, punchy waves peeling off the reef. You’ll want a point-break board for that long period – it’ll wall up nicely. Crowds are *often* here, so get in early or you’ll be fighting for scraps.

Sunday the 9th holds 3ft SSW swell but with morning cross-on winds, so it’s a bit bumpier. Monday the 10th drops to 2ft but has a very long 20-second period (515 energy) – that’s proper groundswell but small. Tuesday 11th goes back up to 3ft SSW 18-second period but onshore winds in the morning make it messy. Afternoon is a cross-shore chop – not ideal.

After a flat-ish spell midweek, Thursday afternoon, 13th August is another good call. 3ft SW swell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and energy jumps to 753 – that’s strong. The following Friday afternoon, 14th August sees the biggest raw swell of the whole run: 5ft SW, 16-second period, energy hitting 1191 (very strong), but it’s a cross-shore wind which puts a bit of chop on it. It’s still surfable for intermediate to advanced, but that cross-shore wind will make it tricky to find a clean face.

The last gem is Monday morning, 17th August. 3ft SSW, 15-second period, glassy conditions – dead flat water. Energy 518. That is a perfect dawn patrol session. Clean, lined up, and no wind. After that, Tuesday/Wednesday have smaller, onshore or cross-on setups and energy drops back below 500.

For the best on offer: Saturday morning 8th August and Monday morning 17th August are your two true standouts – both have glassy or clean offshore wind, decent size for the break, and long-period energy. If you’re an intermediate who wants clean, fun waves, those are the sessions.

If you’re a beginner, keep an eye on the 2ft to 3ft days with clean winds – Thursday 6th afternoon and Friday 7th afternoon are manageable. Anything over 4ft with that reef is a step up. The big 5ft Friday 14th is really only for the experienced crew.

There’s a run of days without strong recommendations from the 9th to the 11th with marginal conditions, but it builds back nicely.

That’s the story from here. Keep your eyes on that Saturday glass-off and the Monday session the week after.

Rusty.

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