Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, ENE swell with 2,900 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period with ENE 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 (Sep 09) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. First up, we've got a bit of a wait for the good stuff. The surf kicks off on Wednesday the 9th of September, but the real quality is a tease. The standout is early on Wednesday the 9th, but after that, there's a long stretch of messy, onshore junk until we get a proper spike again.
The pick of the whole run is Cintsa West on Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning session is the one. You've got a clean 7 ft swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, pushed by a light NNE breeze that's cross-offshore. The combined energy is moderate (947), and the waves are set to be clean. It's a point break, but heads up – it's inconsistent and can get a crowd. This is your best bet for the next week and a half.
From Wednesday afternoon, the wind shifts onshore and the quality drops fast. Thursday the 10th, Friday the 11th, all the way through the weekend into early next week – it's a mess of cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. There's a big pulse of energy on Sunday the 13th (1386 energy), but it's a 4 ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period, and the wind is cross-on, so it won't be clean. The waves will be too straight for the beach, and the wind ruins it.
We then get a solid run of wind and swell through the middle of the month, but it's all blown out. The 14th of September sees an 12 ft ENE swell with 22 mph winds – that's expert-only territory, and even then, it's a howling mess. Kite surfers might be loving it, but for a paddle surfer, it's a no-go. This pattern holds until the 19th of September.
Then, on Saturday the 19th of September, we get a reprieve. The morning brings a clean 6 ft ENE swell with a 8-second period, and a light NNE cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (812) and the waves are clean again. This is a solid, surfable option, but it's not quite the standout of the 9th.
After that, look out for the 23rd of September. That's looking promising. Wednesday the 23rd has a clean 8 ft ENE swell with a 8-second period. The wind is offshore from the NNW in the morning, dropping to a light cross-offshore in the afternoon. The energy is strong (1853), and the conditions are clean. At 8 ft, this is for experienced surfers only, but it could be a cracker. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so don't expect any surprises.
So, to sum it up: Wednesday the 9th of September morning is the one to circle. Then there's a long gap of junky surf until the 19th, with another promising window on the 23rd. Keep an eye on that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Fri night, fresh winds from the NE by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 516 | 563 | 318 | 488 | 289 | 203 | 277 | 173 | 96 | 88 | 173 | 171 | 559 | 758 | 682 | 593 | 972 | 2405 | 1026 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 2:31AM1.46m | 2:54PM1.60m | 3:07AM1.56m | 3:27PM1.72m | 3:40AM1.62m | 3:59PM1.78m | 4:11AM1.64m | 4:28PM1.78m | 4:40AM1.62m | 4:56PM1.73m | 5:07AM1.56m | 5:23PM1.64m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:27PM0.26m | 8:40AM0.14m | 9:05PM0.13m | 9:13AM0.03m | 9:38PM0.04m | 9:44AM-0.03m | 10:09PM0.00m | 10:13AM-0.04m | 10:38PM0.01m | 10:41AM-0.01m | 11:05PM0.06m | 11:08AM0.06m | 11:31PM0.14m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — |
 | 5:53 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 31 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 23 |
Feels °C | 22 | 30 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | E 9 | SSE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 290 | 304 | 32 | 258 | 289 | 203 | 173 | 113 | 84 | 51 | 57 | 46 | 559 | 758 | 682 | 289 | 137 | 1591 | 1026 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 11 | SE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 5 | S 6 | ENE 9 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | — | SSW 15 | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 108 | 57 | 11 | 26 | 30 | 121 | 277 | 20 | 26 | 88 | 95 | 85 | 53 | — | 462 | — | — | 93 | 46 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | SW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SE 7 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | WSW 4 |
| kJ | 13 | 23 | 15 | 46 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 173 | 96 | 82 | 9 | 44 | 25 | — | 15 | — | — | — | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | SSW 3 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | — | — | E 9 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | — | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 10 | — |
| kJ | 516 | 563 | 318 | 488 | 5 | 72 | 14 | 31 | — | — | 173 | 171 | 225 | 628 | — | 593 | 972 | 2405 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 0 | 271 | 0 | 127 | 28 | 1 | 28 | 105 | 333 | 461 | 431 | 333 | 123 | 105 | 100 | 295 | 262 | 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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