Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, let’s break it down.

We’ve got a 16-day stretch ahead, and the first swell is already rolling in. The opening days are a bit of a washout with some ugly conditions, but there’s a real standout moment coming that’ll get the heart rate up.

First up, from Wednesday, September 2nd, through to Friday, September 4th, it’s a rough start. Zippers-Costa Azul (Costa Azul) is seeing a solid 7ft to 10ft southerly swell, but the wind is a complete mess. Onshore, cross-onshore, and even a risk of thunderstorms churn it up. The water is running at 88°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, a proper anomaly of 5°F above average. The combined swell energy is strong, hitting 2300 to 3531, but with poor surf conditions and a moderate cross-onshore chop, it’s not worth paddling out. This is more of a kite-surfing setup, honestly.

Saturday, September 5th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has a 5ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore. The afternoon cleans up nicely though – clean conditions with a 7ft swell from the SW, cross-offshore wind, and moderate energy (1770). Decent enough for a session, but not the highlight.

Now, here’s the one. Sunday, September 6th, morning. Glassy. Absolute glass. A 4ft SSW swell with a long period of 15 seconds, and the wind is dead calm. It’s glassy, the energy is moderate (1481), and this is the best window we’ve got. It’s clean, it’s lined up, and it’s perfect for experienced surfers. The break is exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is S, so the SSW swell is right in the zone. The crowds can be a factor here, but honestly, for conditions like this, it’s worth it.

The rest of the first week is a slow fade. Monday and Tuesday have some clean cross-offshore mornings, but the swell drops to 3ft to 6ft, and the energy slides from 1290 down to 510. Still surfable, but nothing special.

The second week, from the 10th onward, the swell really drops off. We’re looking at waist-high stuff, 2ft to 4ft, with long to very long periods (14 to 18 seconds). The winds are mostly glassy or light cross-offshore, which keeps it clean, but the energy is weak, ranging from 322 to 880. There’s a promising blip on Thursday, September 17th, afternoon – a 2ft swell from the SW with a period of 21 seconds, combined energy of 532, and glassy conditions. It’s very long period, so it’ll be straight at the beach, but for a point or reef spot, that’s a proper groundswell. It’s just a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, don’t bother with the first few days. Your best bet is Sunday, September 6th, morning. That’s the one. After that, the surf gets small and clean, but mostly for the log or a longboard.

Rusty

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