Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Cintsa West.

Alright, we’re staring down a pretty rough run for the most part. The first real chance to even think about it doesn’t show up until Saturday, August 29th, and even then, it’s a bit of a mess. The water’s sitting at 65°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year—about 3° off, so you’ll feel that difference.

The only standout window in the whole 16-day outlook is the weekend of September 13th. Before that, it’s mostly a write-off.

Saturday, August 29th – Saturday, September 6th
This whole stretch is poor. We get a bit of swell on Saturday the 29th with 8ft from the ENE, but the wind is a cross-shore northeasterly at 9 mph, and the combined energy is a big 2034 (moderate to strong energy), but the comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s not worth the paddle. From Sunday the 30th right through to Saturday, September 6th, it’s all “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” with wind ruining most of it—cross-shore, cross-onshore, choppy, lumpy. The swell jumps around, but nothing lines up. Sunday, September 6th has a marginal window with 6ft from the S and a light cross-shore breeze, but it’s still not clean. The 7th through the 10th of September is a total washout—rain, strong onshore winds, and messy, lumpy conditions. The 10th of September has some solid 10ft ENE swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 19 mph, making it a lumpy mess. Definitely not for beginners or anyone wanting a good time.

Saturday, September 13th – The Standout
This is where it finally turns. Saturday, September 13th, morning and afternoon, we’ve got glassy conditions. The wind goes glass—SE and ESE at just 3 mph—and the swell is a clean 3ft from the E with a 9-second period. The combined energy is low, around 268-302 (weak energy), but with the wind flat and the conditions glassy, this is your window. The break is a point break, so that short period E swell will still wrap in nicely. The crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out, but it won’t be packed. This is the one to aim for. It’s a smaller day, perfect for intermediates, and the clean conditions will make it feel bigger than it is.

Sunday, September 14th – Monday, September 15th
After that glassy Saturday, we get a bit more swell on Sunday the 14th—3ft from the SSW with a long 15-second period. The wind is slight from the SSE, cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s “marginal” rather than poor. The long period at a point break like Cintsa West will give you clean lines, but the cross-onshore wind will put a bit of ripple on it. Monday the 15th is similar, 3ft from the SSW, 13 seconds, but with a light cross-onshore breeze. It’s okay, but not as good as Saturday.

So, mark your calendar for Saturday, September 13th. That’s your best bet. Everything else in the next two weeks is either too windy, too messy, or just plain poor. The gap between now and the 13th is a long one, so don’t bother checking until then.

Rusty.

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