Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a bit of a wait for the good stuff, but when it comes, it comes with some serious energy. The first real window of surf kicks off on Wednesday, September 9th, at Cintsa West. Wednesday morning is the standout of the whole week. The water is a cool 61°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, so don’t forget your thickest wetsuit.

Wednesday morning brings a clean 8ft swell from the ENE, with a 9-second period. The combined energy is pumping at a solid 1197 – that’s moderate to strong energy, and it’s going to feel punchy. The wind is a light NNE cross-offshore breeze at just 3 mph, so the waves will be glassy and well-shaped. This is the pick of the period for experienced surfers. The break is a point, so it’ll handle that longer-period energy well. Just a heads up, it’s inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets, and crowds are possible here.

Wednesday afternoon sees the wind swing onshore a bit, turning the surf lumpy and marginal. The next few days are a write-off for quality surf – Thursday through Saturday are all poor, with choppy conditions and dodgy winds. The swell drops right off, with heights under 3ft on Friday.

Sunday, September 13th, gets interesting again. The energy ramps up big time, hitting 1378 in the morning and 1408 in the afternoon. The morning has a 4ft swell from the SSW with a very long 16-second period, and the afternoon bumps up to 8ft from the east. But here’s the catch: the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the ENE at 12 mph, which will put a bit of a chop on the surface. It’s not clean, but the energy is there. The long-period swell is best suited for this point break, but it’s still a marginal call.

The real size event kicks off Monday, September 14th. Morning sees 10ft from the east, and the afternoon jumps to 12ft with a 10-second period. The combined energy in the afternoon is a massive 2276 – that’s strong to very strong energy. This is expert-only territory. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s not totally blown out, but 12ft at a point break with that much energy is no joke. Only for the very experienced.

Tuesday, September 15th, drops back to 5ft-6ft with a light cross-onshore breeze, making it marginal. Wednesday, September 16th, is a mess with strong winds and poor conditions.

The second week shows a pattern of building size again, but it’s locked in with onshore and cross-shore winds. From September 17th to 24th, we see swells ranging from 6ft up to 10ft, but the wind is almost always a cross or cross-onshore breeze, often moderate to fresh. The combined energy values are high, hitting 2752 on the 21st (Monday) afternoon, but the wind and chop make it poor for surfing. This setup, with significant swell, poor surf quality, and strong wind, looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at a point or beach setup.

The last few days of the forecast, September 22nd to 24th, are all poor or marginal with lumpy conditions. The year’s best window is Wednesday morning, September 9th – that’s your cleanest, most fun wave. The big expert swell on Monday, September 14th, is a spectacle, but not for the faint of heart.

Rusty, signing off.

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