Reef

both

Level 8/10

Costa Azul (The Rock)

Los Cabos, Mexico

🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow🌀Strong rips

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Costa Azul, also known as The Rock, is a powerful reef break in the Los Cabos corridor that demands respect and experience. The wave breaks over shallow reef, delivering hollow sections and serious consequences for mistakes. It's the heavy option in an area otherwise known for more forgiving waves.

Costa Azul (The Rock) surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today5

Poor

1.2mS@13s

12km/h

1.2m@13s

12km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.2mS@13s

11km/h

1.2m@13s

11km/h

Sat7

Poor

1.1mS@13s

11km/h

1.1m@13s

11km/h

Sun8

Poor

1.0mS@13s

13km/h

1.0m@13s

13km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.9mS@12s

9km/h

0.9m@12s

9km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.8mSSW@12s

8km/h

0.8m@12s

8km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.6mS@12s

7km/h

0.6m@12s

7km/h

Thu12

Poor

0.7mSSW@15s

7km/h

0.7m@15s

7km/h

Fri13

Poor

0.9mSSW@14s

10km/h

0.9m@14s

10km/h

Sat14

Poor

0.0mN@11s

15km/h

0.0m@11s

15km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 8 km/h · PM 14 km/h · Tide at 5am (1.5m)

Swell

1.2m

S(188°)

Score: 11/25

Period

13s

Mid-period swell

Score: 10/25

Wind

12km/h

WSW(251°)

Score: 9/25

Weather

27°C

0.0mm6%

First light 5:56amSunrise 6:26amSunset 5:38pmLast light 6:08pm

Windswell

0.4m@3s

Secondary

0.2m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @13s S in window

Wind12 km/h WSW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 8:09–10:13am · droppingStrike window: 1:38–3:55pm · risingIdeal tide: mid

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

21°

27°

30°

26°

21°

27°

28°

26°

21°

27°

29°

31°

27°

22°

27°

29°

27°

26°

23°

26°

28°

27°

26°

22°

26°

28°

26°

23°

28°

30°

29°

27°

22°

27°

30°

29°

28°

22°

27°

30°

28°

27°

23°

27°

29°

28°

26°

2m1.0

sec

13s

12s

11s

13s

16s

15s

14s

13s

11s

swell

windkm/h

10g18

5g13

13g27

19g39

9g24

6g13

7g17

16g35

13g32

7g26

6g12

3g12

16g35

12g25

14g31

13g22

14g28

13g31

16g39

8g32

10g17

8g21

9g27

11g30

5g25

9g16

10g22

5g21

5g23

7g21

6g13

8g19

8g26

5g32

7g32

7g15

3g17

7g22

10g32

10g35

3g16

5g18

8g25

13g38

20g44

13g35

13g34

15g34

18g35

tidem

5:34am1.5m

11:55am0.3m

5:55pm1.3m

5:54am1.5m

12:26pm0.2m

6:35pm1.3m

6:15am1.6m

1:02pm0.1m

7:15pm1.2m

12:35am0.5m

6:41am1.6m

1:30pm0.1m

7:46pm1.2m

12:57am0.5m

7:04am1.6m

2:03pm0.0m

8:24pm1.1m

1:16am0.6m

7:25am1.5m

2:30pm0.0m

8:54pm1.0m

1:36am0.6m

7:50am1.5m

3:02pm0.1m

9:23pm0.9m

1:47am0.7m

8:10am1.5m

3:35pm0.2m

9:54pm0.9m

2:06am0.7m

8:36am1.4m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

5:34 am

High · 1.47m

11:55 am

Low · 0.33m

5:55 pm

High · 1.30m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction17/25

Swell Size11/25

Swell Period10/25

Wind9/25

Raw Score47/100

Adjustments

💨 Gusty Wind-5

Adjusted Score42/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score42

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to SJD, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @13s S in window

Wind12 km/h WSW onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SSW (200°)
Direction range: 180° - 220°
Size range: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 15s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NNW (337°)
Offshore range: 315° - 360°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

25°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Costa Azul beach. Same area as Zippers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Costa Azul (The Rock)?

Costa Azul is a reef break in Los Cabos, Mexico, with peaks that run both left and right.

What swell works best at Costa Azul (The Rock)?

Costa Azul picks up swell from the S round to the SW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SSW. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 3m, with the sweet spot around 2 to 2.6m. Period matters too: aim for 15s or longer, as anything under 12s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Costa Azul (The Rock)?

A NNW wind is dead offshore at Costa Azul, and anything from the NW round to the N keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Costa Azul (The Rock)?

Costa Azul is at its best around mid tide.

When is the best time of year to surf Costa Azul (The Rock)?

The most reliable run of swell at Costa Azul comes May to Oct. There's a second window in Apr and Nov too. Summer swells. Expert level reef.

How cold is the water at Costa Azul (The Rock)?

The water at Costa Azul averages around 25°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Costa Azul (The Rock) good for beginners?

Not really. It's rated 8/10 for difficulty and suits experienced surfers. Expect a moderate crowd (5/10) when it's on. Powerful reef. Expert only.

How do I get to Costa Azul (The Rock)?

The nearest airport on our list is SJD, then it's roughly a 20-minute drive. Costa Azul beach. Same area as Zippers.

What other surf spots are near Costa Azul (The Rock)?

The closest breaks we track are Zippers (Los Cabos) (2.6 km), Old Man's (Los Cabos) (3.9 km) and Shipwrecks (East Cape) (27 km), handy when Costa Azul isn't working.