Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Cintsa West, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 64° right now, which is a solid 4° colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that chill when you’re sitting out there.

The pattern starts off pretty tame. Tuesday the 21st into Wednesday morning the 22nd we’ve got small SSW swell around 3ft to 4ft, with a period of 15 seconds and 13 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, which is good for a point like Cintsa West, but the energy is moderate (767 to 841). The wind is cross or cross-on, so it’s not going to be clean. Don’t get too excited yet.

Wednesday afternoon the 22nd is the first real standout. The wind goes completely glassy, and we’ve got a 3ft swell from the SE with a 12-second period. That’s a fun size, clean, and the energy is still moderate (713). For a point break, that’s a sweet spot. This is the best session in the first week, no question.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th get messy. The wind picks up from the SW, and we get a big jump in swell Friday morning – 8ft from the SSW at 12 seconds. That’s a solid size, but the wind is cross-shore with chop, and the energy is strong (4016). It’s borderline for intermediates, and the conditions aren’t doing it any favours. Friday afternoon sees a 8ft SSW swell with a 16-second period – very long period – but the wind is light and onshore, so it’s not the clean option.

The weekend (25th-26th July) stays small, around 3ft to 4ft, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-off. Sunday morning the 26th is worth a mention: a 3ft SSW swell, 12-second period, with a clean cross-off breeze from the NNE. The energy is moderate (564). It’s not a blower, but it’s rideable and tidy.

We hit a bit of a lull Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th. The swell drops to 3ft-3ft, and while the wind is glassy or light, the energy is low (350-361). You might get a few fun ones, but it’s not pumping.

Saturday the 1st of August is the big ticket. We’ve got a 5ft S swell at 16 seconds – long period groundswell – with a clean cross-off breeze from the north. The energy is strong (2334), and the conditions are clean. This is a proper session for experienced surfers. The swell direction matches the optimum SE direction from the guidance, so it’s hitting the point right. Cintsa West can be inconsistent, but when it lines up like this, it’s worth the wait.

Sunday the 2nd of August through Tuesday the 5th sees a shift to a bigger, wind-affected east swell. The size jumps to 10ft-12ft, with a short period of 9-10 seconds. That’s a lot of water, but it’s short-period wind swell, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, so it’s more of a kitesurfing setup than a clean paddle session. The energy is strong to very strong (up to 3922), but the quality is poor.

Wednesday morning the 5th of August is another standout. The swell drops to 7ft from the east, 10-second period, but the wind goes offshore from the WNW. That’s a clean, offshore wind on a point break. The energy is moderate (802), and the conditions are clean. This is a solid option for the second week, especially if you want a more manageable size than the weekend prior.

Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday afternoon the 22nd of July – glassy, clean, and a fun size. The second standout is Saturday the 1st of August, with a clean, long-period groundswell that’s perfect for experienced surfers. The gaps in between are mostly small or messy, so pick your windows.

Rusty.

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