Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Water’s warm – about 87°F, and that’s a good two and a half degrees warmer than it should be for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We’ve got a long stretch ahead, and honestly, the first few days are going to be a bit of a grind. The surf’s there, but it's small and the wind’s going to be messing with things. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are looking marginal at best – light winds but cross-onshore, and the swell is only around 3ft to 4ft from the SSW. The energy is moderate, somewhere in the 440 to 682 range, but it’s just not clean enough to get excited about. Sunday the 9th is a write-off, mate – poor conditions, chop, and cross-shore winds. Monday the 10th isn't much better.

The first real glimmer of hope comes mid-week. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th start to clean up. We’re looking at 3ft of SSW swell, period around 16 seconds, and the wind drops right out. Thursday afternoon is a stand-out early call – glassy, calm, with a 3ft SW swell. The energy is still moderate, but the clean conditions will make it feel better than it is. That’s your pick for the first week.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Friday the 14th afternoon is the real standout of the whole run. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SW, with a 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The energy jumps to 1224, which is strong, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. This is the day to clear your schedule. It’ll be bigger and more powerful, definitely for the experienced crew – that’s over the 5ft mark, so it’s not one for the beginners.

The weekend after that, the 15th and 16th, gets a bit messy again with a risk of thunderstorms and cross-onshore winds, so expect it to be lumpy. The swell stays around 4ft to 5ft, but the quality drops right off.

The second week, from the 17th onwards, is more of the same – small, around 3ft to 4ft, with that SSW direction. The afternoons on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th look clean with light offshore winds, but the energy is only moderate. Nothing that’s going to blow your mind, but if you’re keen for a paddle, those afternoons are your best bet. The mornings are mostly onshore and not worth it.

So, bottom line: don’t get too worked up about this week. The waves are there, but the wind’s not playing the game. Save your energy for Friday the 14th afternoon – that’s the one that’s got some real grunt to it. And keep an eye on Thursday the 13th afternoon for a clean, small day if you just need to get wet.

Rusty

Read more