Zippers-Costa Azul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Zippers-Costa Azul.

The week ahead is a real mixed bag. We’re starting off with some surf that’s got potential, but it’s not all going to be clean. The standout window is definitely the weekend, from Saturday the 25th through Sunday the 26th. That’s where everything lines up.

We’ve got a solid pulse of SSW groundswell rolling in. Saturday morning kicks off with a clean 4ft swell from the SSW, with a nice long 20-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, making for some excellent conditions if you’ve got the experience. The wave energy is strong, hitting 1342 (combined energy). Saturday afternoon is even better, with the swell bumping up to 6ft, still from the SSW, and a 19-second period. The wind stays light and cross-off, and the energy jumps to 2126. This is top-tier stuff for the crew that know what they’re doing.

Then Sunday morning is an absolute treat. It’s glassy, with a 5ft SSW swell at 18 seconds. The energy is still strong at 1512. Sunday afternoon holds up too, with the same size and period, clean with a cross-off breeze and energy of 2171. This is the best run of the forecast.

The water temperature is a scorcher at 86°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—about 5° above average, so get ready for a warm one.

Now, Monday the 27th gets a bit more complicated. The swell is still there, but the wind swings around and the quality drops. Monday afternoon sees a 8ft SSE swell, but the wind is cross and there’s a risk of storms. The energy is very high at 3329, but it’s messy. Tuesday the 28th is similar, with an 8ft S swell, but the wind is cross-onshore in the morning, cleaning up to a cross-off in the afternoon. The energy is massive, over 3400, but it’s a bit of a raw power session.

From Wednesday the 29th through to Thursday the 30th, it gets blown out. Swells are over 10ft from the S and SSW, but the wind is howling onshore at 15 to 28 mph. The energy is huge, over 3500, but the conditions are poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

After that, things settle down. Friday the 31st still has an 8ft to 8ft SW swell, but the wind is onshore or cross, so it’s marginal. Then we hit a quiet patch. Saturday the 1st of August looks promising again, with a clean 6ft WSW swell in the morning and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is 1120. Saturday afternoon has a 5ft WSW swell with offshore wind from the NW, making for very good conditions. Sunday the 2nd is small and glassy in the morning, with a 3ft WSW swell, but the energy is low.

Then from Monday the 3rd through to the end of the forecast, it’s mostly small and messy. The swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, with moderate cross-shore winds. The energy is weak, under 300. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday the 5th of August with a glassy 2ft SW swell, but it’s barely a bump.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf is this weekend, the 25th and 26th of July. Clean, solid, and full of energy. The rest of the week has some big, raw swells that are hard to ride, and the second week goes quiet. If you’re a beginner, Saturday and Sunday are too big at over 5ft, and by Tuesday it’s over 8ft, so that’s experts only. The long-period swells, especially over 15 seconds, will be breaking a bit straight at this beach-and-reef setup, so watch for the sets.

Rusty out.

Read more