Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First off, the water temp at Cintsa West is sitting at 64°, which is a solid 5° colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a notable chill, so don’t forget a decent wetsuit if you’re paddling out.

The first real action kicks off Wednesday morning, July 22. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the NE at just 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 792, and it’s going to be absolutely glassy. Cintsa West is a point break, and with the swell direction matching the optimum (SE) pretty closely, this is the standout of the early window. The water is much colder than normal, but the surf will be very good. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Wednesday afternoon holds, too—still glassy, 3ft SSW, 13-second period. Great.

Thursday morning, July 23, the wind switches to a light cross-shore from the SW, and the swell drops off a bit in quality. The 4ft SSW is still there, but it’s a bit more mixed. Thursday afternoon turns poor with 12 mph cross-winds and lumpy conditions.

Friday morning, July 24, sees a solid jump in size—8ft from the SSW with a 12-second period, but the wind is a cross-shore at 9 mph. The energy is strong at 3472, but the conditions are only marginal. Friday afternoon stays big at 8ft with a 16-second period (very long period groundswell), but the wind is cross-onshore. This one is more for the experienced crew, and the long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but at a point, it could still have some shape.

Saturday the 25th is a step down with 4ft, light cross-wind, and only marginal.

Sunday the 26th: morning is clean with a cross-offshore wind, but only 3ft. The afternoon brings a 5ft from the ENE with a short 8-second period—not great.

Monday the 27th is a write-off—poor conditions.

Now, Tuesday July 28 is a big one for the experienced surfer. Morning sees 8ft from the S, 9-second period, with a clean cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph. The energy is strong at 2142. This is for experts—over 8ft—and the quality is excellent. The afternoon is messy with a storm risk and 12 mph winds.

The rest of the week into early August is a mixed bag, but keep an eye on Sunday August 2. Morning has a 10ft swell from the ENE with a short 8-second period, but the wind is offshore from the NNW at 3 mph, glassy and clean. The energy is strong at 1952. This is another expert-only setup, but it could be a diamond in the rough.

Monday August 3 is similar—10ft from the ENE, 10-second period, clean offshore wind from the NNE. Energy is 2471. Again, only for those with the skills. The afternoon gets trashed by 22 mph winds.

Tuesday August 4 is big—12ft from the ENE, 11-second period, clean cross-offshore wind in the morning. The energy is very strong at 3944. This is a big, powerful swell, and only experts should be out.

The last standout is Wednesday August 5. Morning has 8ft from the E, 11-second period, with glassy conditions from the SSW at 3 mph. The energy is 1299. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and the glassy wind will make it super clean.

For the rest of that second week, it’s a mix of moderate swells and cross-winds, nothing that really jumps out as a must-surf.

Overall, the best bet is Wednesday July 22 morning for the combination of clean, glassy conditions and a solid 4ft SSW swell. After that, Tuesday July 28 morning and Wednesday August 5 morning are the ones for the experienced crew looking for bigger, cleaner waves.

Rusty.

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