Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 13s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 5,468 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Cintsa West is a real mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell at times, but the wind and conditions are gonna be a battle. This spot is a point break, which can handle a bit of direction, but it’s inconsistent, so you gotta pick your moments.
Starting off on Saturday, 1st August, there’s swell around 5 ft from ESE, but it’s a cross-shore NE breeze at 12 mph, and the energy is moderate at 463. The comment says “poor surf conditions,” so don’t expect much. Sunday the 2nd brings a bigger pulse – 8 ft from ESE with a 12-second period, and the energy jumps to 1666 (strong), but it’s still cross-shore winds. This is getting into expert territory at over 8 ft, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.
The first real standout for me is Tuesday morning, 4th August. We’ve got a clean 5 ft swell from ESE, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the N at 6 mph. The energy is moderate at 456, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s your window this week – a bit of a gem, but the break is inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets.
Then there’s a big gap. From Wednesday afternoon, 5th August, right through to the morning of 14th August, it’s mostly marginal or poor. The swell gets all over the place – some big pulses like 8 ft on Thursday 6th from SSW with a 14-second period (energy 2594, very strong), but the wind is howling and cross-shore. For a beach-and-reef setup like this, that’s more kite-surfing territory. The water temp is about 69°F with a 0.7°F anomaly, so it’s pretty average for this time of year – nothing to write home about.
Now, the second standout is Friday morning, 14th August. This one is a real treat. We’ve got 5 ft from ENE with a 9-second period, and the wind is glassy – dead calm from the SSE. The energy is moderate at 543, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Clean, glassy waves at a point break, but it’s a week away, so keep an eye on it.
After that, it fades out again. The 15th and 16th are tiny – 3 ft and 2 ft – with strong cross-shore winds. Not worth your time.
So, bottom line: Tuesday morning, 4th August, and Friday morning, 14th August, are the only real standouts. The rest is a slog. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 424 | 544 | 573 | 1622 | 1304 | 1121 | 806 | 650 | 540 | 399 | 578 | 335 | 217 | 180 | 242 | 314 | 2524 | 1541 | 1257 | 711 | 395 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:31PM1.62m | 5:36AM1.52m | 6:01PM1.61m | 6:07AM1.46m | 6:32PM1.56m | 6:41AM1.38m | 7:09PM1.49m | 7:21AM1.27m | 7:53PM1.38m | 8:12AM1.14m | 8:56PM1.26m | 9:39AM1.03m | 10:42PM1.18m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:15AM0.05m | 11:36PM0.17m | 11:43AM0.07m | 00:08AM0.20m | 12:13PM0.13m | 00:43AM0.25m | 12:47PM0.21m | 1:24AM0.34m | 1:26PM0.32m | 2:15AM0.44m | 2:19PM0.45m | 3:32AM0.54m | 3:46PM0.56m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |  |  |  | | | |
 | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 25 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | SSW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 |
| kJ | 424 | 28 | 573 | 1622 | 1304 | 1121 | 806 | 650 | 540 | 399 | 416 | 335 | 217 | 180 | 139 | 314 | 64 | 1541 | 1257 | 711 | 395 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | E 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 10 | — | S 11 |
| kJ | 39 | 71 | 40 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 84 | 104 | 65 | 57 | 56 | 31 | 30 | 42 | 242 | 117 | 6 | 62 | 45 | — | 151 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 16 | SSW 10 | S 13 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 10 | S 13 | — | — | — | S 18 | SW 5 | SW 11 | SSW 4 | NE 8 | — | NE 8 | — | — | SSW 13 |
| kJ | — | 10 | 37 | 13 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 29 | 4 | 16 | — | 11 | — | — | 149 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | ESE 9 | NNE 3 | — | ENE 4 | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | — | E 10 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 6 | SSW 14 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 544 | 5 | — | 16 | — | 18 | 26 | 90 | — | 578 | 14 | 16 | 13 | — | 39 | 2524 | — | 91 | 382 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 100 | 456 | 0 | 100 | 213 | 0 | 43 | 278 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 323 | 105 | 396 | 262 | 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.
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