Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 2,504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 16s. 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 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. 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 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, Monday the 3rd of August kicks things off, but it’s a bit of a slow burner. We’ve got some swell rolling in, but the conditions are just marginal. The first real standout is a bit of a wait.
The best window of the whole run looks like Saturday morning, the 8th of August, at Cintsa West. That’s the session to circle. You’re looking at a clean 3 ft swell from the SSW, with light offshore breezes and a light wind that’ll keep the surface glassy. The combined swell energy is solid (643), and it’s a point break, so those long-period 14-second groundswell lines will wrap in nicely. This is a rare, inconsistent spot, so when it lines up, you get in the water. Crowds are possible, but with that inconsistency, you might just score it alone.
The next one to get excited about is Wednesday morning, the 12th of August. Cintsa West picks up a punchy 6 ft swell from the ENE, clean again with light offshore winds. The energy is pumping (769), and that short 8-second period will keep the waves a bit more manageable and fun, not too straight. This one’s got a solid feel to it.
Now, the water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.
Otherwise, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a long stretch of marginal or poor conditions from the 3rd through the 7th, with cross-shore winds and only small to moderate swell. The 9th of August has a bigger 8 ft SW swell (2889 energy), but the wind is cross to onshore, and it’s likely too big and messy for the average surfer—that’s more for the experienced crew only. The 10th and 11th are a write-off with rainy, windy, and poor surf.
The tail end of the run, from the 14th of August, gets small again. The 14th morning is glassy with a 3 ft SSW swell, but it’s tiny. The 15th has a 5 ft SW swell, but it’s short period and cross-shore.
So, the short story: Saturday the 8th and Wednesday the 12th are your best bets. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy. The second week is pretty quiet, with only small, marginal waves on offer.
Stay safe, and keep your eye on the horizon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1141 | 972 | 806 | 551 | 425 | 520 | 490 | 273 | 262 | 380 | 318 | 389 | 538 | 425 | 210 | 376 | 478 | 362 | 215 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 11:55AM1.04m | 00:36AM1.23m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:31AM0.56m | 5:55PM0.57m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | 5:30 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 29 | 33 | 25 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 24 | 29 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 |
| kJ | 1141 | 972 | 806 | 551 | 425 | 520 | 490 | 273 | 262 | 211 | 120 | 389 | 538 | 425 | 210 | 376 | 275 | 271 | 215 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 35 | 121 | 104 | 95 | 57 | 56 | 31 | 30 | 85 | 380 | 318 | 118 | 90 | 201 | 176 | — | 478 | 362 | 195 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 14 | S 13 | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 15 | SW 11 | ENE 6 | — | — | SSW 18 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 15 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | 6 | 43 | 29 | 37 | — | — | 108 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 6 | SW 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | — | — | E 6 | ENE 7 | — | SW 4 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 16 | — | 71 | 122 | 183 | — | 57 | 18 | 28 | 28 | — | — | 154 | 345 | — | 10 | 43 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 43 | 100 | 0 | 43 | 271 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 43 | 431 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cintsa West surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest