Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 11s period, E swell with 1,363 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 14s. 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 2.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next 16 days for Cintsa West.
The main energy in the water will be from the ESE and E, with a few later pulses of SSW swell. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and the wind isn’t always playing nice. Most of the early days are a write-off, but we’ve got a couple of moments that will get the heart pumping.
Overall Pattern
The first few days are a tough slog. The water is at 69°, which is about average for this time of year. The combined wave energy is moderate to strong at times but the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, killing the quality. Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th of July are a bit of a wash, with the cross-on wind making things choppy. Friday the 31st July is looking poor, and Saturday the 1st August is a straight-up no-go with moderate cross-shore wind and poor conditions. Sunday the 2nd has a bit more size but the wind is still cross, so it’s messy.
Thursday Morning, 30th July
This is the first real light. The wind switches to a clean cross-off from the WSW, with a Slight air state. The swell is 6 ft from the ESE at 9 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1079. This is a proper clean window for experienced surfers. The offshore wind will groom that point break nicely. It’s inconsistent here, so you’ll have to wait for your sets, but when they come, they’ll be worth it. Crowds are possible.
Tuesday Morning, 4th August
We get another clean window. The wind is light and cross-off from the NNE, giving us clean conditions. The swell is 6 ft from the E at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate at 870. It’s not the biggest, but the clean conditions will make it peaky and fun. A solid option for a Tuesday morning session.
The Weekend Standout
Saturday the 8th of August morning is a gem. The wind is a glassy cross-off from the NNE. The swell is 5 ft from the SSW at 11 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 687. This is a long-period groundswell, which is perfect for a point break like this. It will be clean, with long, walling sets. Crowds are possible. This is the best on offer in the whole window.
The Raw Power
Sunday the 10th of August, the swell jumps to 12 ft from the E at 10 seconds. The energy is massive at 3949. This is heavy, expert-only territory. The wind is cross, but it’s a beast. If you’re a charger, the Monday morning session on the 11th August is even better, with the same size but glassy conditions from the NNW. That’s a serious, heavy, clean day, but only for the brave.
The Gaps
There are flat spells in between. The first few days are a write-off, and then there’s a gap of poor conditions between the 1st and the 3rd of August. The 5th and 6th of August have small glassy mornings but are not worth the drive. The 13th of August is a long period SSW pulse but it’s small and weak.
Bottom Line
Your best bets are the Thursday morning of the 30th July for a clean ride, and the Saturday morning of the 8th August for a more classic, long-period point break session. The 11th August is for the heavy hitters only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 12 | E 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 445 | 432 | 492 | 601 | 520 | 480 | 480 | 445 | 612 | 360 | 567 | 606 | 1280 | 1363 | 793 | 540 | 625 | 627 | 461 | 432 | 187 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:07PM1.48m | 4:11AM1.52m | 4:35PM1.55m | 4:39AM1.54m | 5:03PM1.60m | 5:07AM1.54m | 5:31PM1.62m | 5:36AM1.52m | 6:01PM1.61m | 6:07AM1.46m | 6:32PM1.56m | 6:41AM1.38m | 7:09PM1.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:54AM0.16m | 10:07PM0.24m | 10:21AM0.10m | 10:36PM0.20m | 10:48AM0.06m | 11:06PM0.17m | 11:15AM0.05m | 11:36PM0.17m | 11:43AM0.07m | 00:08AM0.20m | 12:13PM0.13m | 00:43AM0.25m | 12:47PM0.21m | 1:24AM0.34m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 18 | 27 | 31 | 24 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 12 | E 9 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
| kJ | 191 | 432 | 477 | 601 | 520 | 480 | 480 | 445 | 474 | 360 | 28 | 606 | 1280 | 1111 | 793 | 540 | 454 | 516 | 325 | 335 | 187 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | — | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 427 | 163 | 492 | 478 | 390 | 312 | 285 | 189 | 86 | 31 | — | 23 | 18 | 18 | 46 | 121 | 141 | 93 | 81 | 53 | 73 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSW 14 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 10 | S 13 | — | S 12 | — | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 12 | 361 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 | — | 47 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | ESE 9 | NE 4 | E 9 | NE 5 | NE 5 | E 11 | NE 5 | — | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SW 4 |
| kJ | 445 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 612 | 17 | 567 | 65 | 74 | 1363 | 49 | — | 625 | 627 | 461 | 432 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 345 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 100 | 512 | 0 | 297 | 380 | 138 | 262 | 271 | 0 | 43 | 271 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 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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