Cintsa West Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.83° S 28.12° E

Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cintsa West sea temperature is
18.3°C
1.5° 

Cintsa West surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cintsa West surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,853 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period with S 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 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 24th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 15s
Best Surf 5AM (Fri 28th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 10s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 26th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, let’s get into it. This is your local surf report from Rusty.

Alright, listen up, crew. We’ve got a 16-day window here, and I’m not gonna lie to you – it’s a real mixed bag. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, so don’t be in a rush to get your wetsuit on just yet. We’ve got a long quiet spell before any real magic starts to show up. The standout window is way out there, almost two weeks away, so we’ve got to be patient.

The only spot on the radar is Cintsa West, a point break that’s usually pretty good but, fair warning, it’s inconsistent and can get crowded sometimes. The water’s sitting at 65°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want that extra layer.

We kick off on Monday, 24 August, but honestly, don’t bother. Tiny swell at 3ft from the south with a short 8-second period, and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The combined energy is weak (204), and it’s just not worth paddling out for. That trend continues through Tuesday with a bit more height (4ft) and a much longer 17-second period, giving us a decent energy reading (1120), but the cross-onshore breeze ruins it. Wednesday, 26 August, gets a bit bigger – 6ft from the south – but with onshore winds and rain showers, it’s a messy, choppy scene. The combined energy hits 2095, but the quality is poor. Thursday and Friday are a write-off with strong, lumpy winds and junk swell.

The weekend of 29-30 August is still not great. The swell hangs around 6ft to 8ft, but it’s cross-shore and messy, with moderate energy (699 to 1444). The wind never cleans it up.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Monday, 31 August, into Tuesday, 1 September, is a mess of strong winds and rain. The wind state finally goes glassy on Tuesday morning, 1 September, with a clean 5ft swell from the ENE, but the energy is only 491, and it’s a small window. The crowd might be an issue if anyone else is watching the forecast.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Skip ahead to Thursday, 3 September. We’ve got a solid 10ft groundswell from the SSW with a very long 18-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore. The combined energy is a massive 5429. This is a serious swell, but it’s getting close to expert territory. The long period means it’ll have plenty of power, but at a point break like Cintsa West, it should line up nicely. Just be aware, anything over 8ft is for the experienced crew.

But the absolute standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Friday, 4 September. The morning is a dream: glassy conditions, a 20ft swell from the southwest with a 15-second period, and the combined energy is an insane 20845. That is a massive, powerful groundswell. The wind is dead calm. The only catch is the forecast says it might be too big for the break itself, but for the very best surfers, this is the day. The afternoon settles down to a still-impressive 13ft with a gentle cross-shore. This is the best on offer in the whole window, but it’s a long way out, so keep checking the forecast.

After that, the swell drops back down. Saturday, 5 September, has clean 8ft swell but with strong cross-offshore winds, making it lumpy. Sunday, 6 September, is a much more manageable 6ft from the south with a 12-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore. The energy is 1123, and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid, fun day.

The final few days from 7 September onward are a complete washout with strong onshore winds and tiny, weak swell. Don’t even think about it.

So, to sum it up: forget the first week. The real magic is on Friday, 4 September, with a massive, glassy 20ft groundswell – that’s for the experts only. The next best bet is Tuesday morning, 1 September, for a clean but smaller session, or Sunday, 6 September, for a clean, fun 6ft swell. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain, so keep your eyes on the charts.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the ENE by Wed night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the N by Sat night).

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
3
3
3
3
2
0
1
0
0
4
3
2
2
2
1
4
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
S
8
1
S
11
1.3
SSW
15
1.1
S
17
1.6
SSW
16
1.4
SSW
14
1.8
S
17
2.5
S
17
2.1
S
13
2.5
E
7
3
ENE
8
3.5
ENE
9
2.5
ENE
10
3
ENE
10
3
ENE
10
3
ENE
10
2.5
E
10
2.3
E
11
1.8
E
11
1.7
E
11
1.5
E
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
112
244
785
708
1271
763
1887
3853
1567
753
1240
1962
1329
1491
1594
1746
1300
1230
736
670
533
Wind (km/h)
10
S
10
SSE
5
W
10
S
15
SSW
10
W
10
SE
20
E
30
ENE
40
NE
40
NE
15
NNE
20
NNE
20
NE
15
NE
20
NE
25
NE
15
NNE
15
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-on
High Tide
2:21PM1.19m
2:24AM1.29m
2:49PM1.34m
2:53AM1.40m
3:15PM1.47m
3:20AM1.50m
3:41PM1.58m
3:47AM1.57m
4:07PM1.67m
4:14AM1.61m
4:34PM1.73m
4:42AM1.62m
5:01PM1.74m
Low Tide
8:09AM0.47m
8:20PM0.49m
8:37AM0.33m
8:50PM0.36m
9:03AM0.21m
9:17PM0.25m
9:28AM0.11m
9:45PM0.15m
9:53AM0.03m
10:12PM0.08m
10:19AM-0.01m
10:41PM0.05m
10:46AM-0.02m
11:10PM0.05m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
light rain
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
5:47
 mm
1
3
1
1
Temp °C
20
21
16
18
19
18
19
18
18
18
19
19
30
33
27
31
28
24
22
22
20
Feels °C
18
19
16
17
17
17
18
15
13
13
13
18
27
30
24
28
26
21
21
22
19
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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