
Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 3,131 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cintsa West this week:
The surf forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a slow start and then a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks at Cintsa West. The surf kicks off Friday morning, but it’s a bit of a raw one. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell pushing in from the SSW with a period of 12 seconds, but the wind is a cross-off from the SW at 12 mph, and there’s rain showers about. The water temp is sitting close to average for this time of year, nothing to write home about. The combined energy is strong (3400), but the report’s calling it marginal, and I’d agree – it’s messy, and the tide might cause issues. Friday afternoon drops a touch to 8ft, but the wind goes cross and light, and the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds. That’s groundswell energy, and at a point break like Cintsa West, it could line up beautifully, but it’s still a bit of a gamble with the ‘marginal’ tag.
Saturday morning is where it gets interesting. The swell drops to 4ft from the SSW, but the wind is glassy – dead flat, 3 mph. That’s clean as a whistle. The period is a solid 14 seconds, so there’s decent shape, and the energy is moderate (958). It’s inconsistent here, so you’ll need patience, but the conditions are primo. The swell direction is straight out of the SSW, which is bang on the optimum for this spot. Saturday afternoon sees a bit of cross-on wind kick in, and the swell drops a little, so the morning is definitely the pick of the weekend.
Sunday keeps a similar 4ft SSW swell, but the wind swings to a cross-shore from the NE, getting stronger through the day. The period drops to 12 seconds, and the energy is moderate (575). It’s not terrible, but it’s not the standout. Monday and Tuesday look grim – the wind picks up to 19 mph on Monday, with fresh cross-shore chop, and the swell drops right off. Tuesday brings a short-period 7ft from the SSE at 8 seconds, which is just chunky, messy windswell – not great for a point break.
Now, here’s the real standout: Thursday, 30th July morning. The wind is glassy again, dead calm, and the swell is 7ft from the east at 8 seconds. That’s a short period, but the energy is strong (1452), and the conditions are described as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The east swell is off the optimum direction for Cintsa West (which likes SE), but with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean and powerful. At 7ft, it’s pushing into expert territory, so beginners should stay out of the water. The crowds are sometimes there, so you might have a few others out, but with that quality, it’s worth it.
The following week is a bit of a mixed story. Friday 31st July and Saturday 1st August have 7ft to 8ft east swells, but the wind is cross-shore and moderate to fresh, so the surface will be lumpy. Sunday 2nd August morning is a nice little window: 5ft from the ESE, cross-off wind from the N at 9 mph, and clean conditions. The period is 11 seconds, and the energy is moderate (824). It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun. After that, the swells start to fade and the wind gets messy again, with a few clean mornings on 5th, 6th, and 7th August, but the swell is only 3ft to 5ft. Those are small, clean days for a longboard or a funboard, with glassy or cross-off winds. The last day, 8th August morning, is glassy with a 3ft south swell at 11 seconds – a nice little finale.
Overall, the best on offer is Thursday 30th July morning for the experienced crew, with glassy conditions and a solid 7ft east swell. Saturday 25th July morning is the pick for smaller, cleaner waves if you want a more relaxed session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu night, calm by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 60mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1395 | 1747 | 2668 | 936 | 651 | 485 | 632 | 467 | 258 | 371 | 242 | 201 | 361 | 585 | 960 | 1989 | 1178 | 765 | 434 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:25PM1.08m | 12:34PM0.98m | 00:57AM1.11m | 1:46PM1.07m | 1:55AM1.20m | 2:31PM1.18m | 2:37AM1.30m | 3:06PM1.29m | 3:11AM1.39m | 3:37PM1.39m | 3:42AM1.46m | 4:07PM1.48m | 4:11AM1.52m | ||||||
Low Tide | 6:10AM0.64m | 6:23PM0.66m | 7:31AM0.56m | 7:40PM0.58m | 8:19AM0.45m | 8:27PM0.49m | 8:55AM0.35m | 9:04PM0.39m | 9:25AM0.25m | 9:36PM0.31m | 9:54AM0.16m | 10:07PM0.24m | |||||||
— | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
5:22 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | S 9 | S 16 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | E 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 7 | SSW 16 | SSE 8 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 8 |
65 | 445 | 2668 | 321 | 307 | 278 | 632 | 467 | 258 | 142 | 242 | 195 | 103 | 568 | 378 | 1989 | 1178 | 765 | 204 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | SSW 18 | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | S 13 |
7 | 972 | 58 | 936 | 651 | 485 | 216 | 95 | 201 | 371 | 65 | 201 | 361 | 24 | 960 | 91 | 112 | — | 434 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | E 10 | SE 11 | E 8 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 18 | E 8 | SSW 18 | S 13 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | — | E 10 |
45 | 236 | — | — | — | 2 | 61 | 1 | 46 | 18 | 30 | 33 | 326 | 4 | 37 | 40 | 60 | — | 71 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | E 5 | ENE 6 | — | SW 5 | SSW 6 | — | SSE 8 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | NE 4 |
1395 | 1747 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 12 | 86 | — | 65 | 108 | — | 585 | — | — | — | 296 | 24 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 262 | 260 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 0 | 43 | 262 | 0 | 158 | 432 | 28 | 380 | 1 | 1 | 295 | 873 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cintsa West Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cintsa West provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cintsa West can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cintsa West surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Cintsa West) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Cintsa West may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Cintsa West, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, consider staying in East London which is 28 km (17 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape - Wild Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Butterworth which is 56 km (35 miles) away, Stutterheim and Bisho.










