
Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SSE swell with 1,992 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 5s 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 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 11th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s heading our way for Cintsa West.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next week and a half is looking pretty ordinary. There’s a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind messing things up, and the swell is fighting against the direction this spot really wants. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions from the start of the period, with only a couple of small windows that might be worth a paddle.
The first real sniff of something decent doesn’t come until Saturday morning, the 15th of August. The wind swings to a light cross-off breeze from the NE at 9 mph, and the sea cleans up. You’re looking at a 5ft swell from the east with a short period of 7 seconds. It’s not the most powerful stuff, but it’ll be clean. The combined energy sits at 286 (moderate), so there’s a bit of push. This is a point break, so the short period won’t ruin it, but don’t expect big walls. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Then, Sunday morning, the 16th of August, the wind goes light and variable from the SSW, and we get a 6ft swell from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate at 750. It’s still a bit cross-shore, but with such light air, it’ll be glassy and clean. That’s your best window for a decent, fun size wave.
After that, we get a few mornings with clean-ish conditions but the swell drops off. The Tuesday morning of the 18th has a 5ft, 11-second groundswell from the east with a gentle cross-shore breeze. Periods over 11 seconds mean better shape and longer lulls, and at a point, that’ll peel nicely. The energy is moderate at 601. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.
The real standout, if you can wait, is Saturday morning, the 22nd of August. For the first time in a while, we get absolute glass. The wind is dead calm. The swell is tiny, only 2ft from the SSW, but it’s a long-period 12-second groundswell. The energy is weak at 181, so it’s a longboard day. But if you want smooth, silky conditions, this is your moment. The water is much colder than normal for this time of year, so bring a thicker suit.
To be honest, nothing in this window is firing. The best of a bad bunch is Saturday morning, the 15th, for the cleanest conditions with a bit of size, and Sunday morning, the 16th, for the biggest clean swell. The rest is a washout.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 | SSE 10 | S 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
384 | 561 | 578 | 657 | 509 | 301 | 172 | 516 | 850 | 1288 | 465 | 481 | 439 | 361 | 336 | 432 | 270 | 144 | 198 | 362 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 00:36AM1.23m | 1:27PM1.18m | 1:48AM1.35m | 2:24PM1.36m | 2:40AM1.48m | 3:09PM1.52m | 3:22AM1.58m | 3:48PM1.66m | 4:00AM1.63m | 4:25PM1.74m | 4:35AM1.64m | 4:59PM1.76m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:55PM0.57m | 7:11AM0.45m | 7:30PM0.45m | 8:11AM0.30m | 8:30PM0.30m | 8:56AM0.16m | 9:16PM0.17m | 9:34AM0.04m | 9:56PM0.08m | 10:09AM-0.03m | 10:33PM0.04m | 10:42AM-0.05m | 11:07PM0.05m | |||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | S 11 | SSE 10 | S 13 | S 12 | ESE 8 | S 11 | E 10 | ESE 9 | SSW 20 | E 6 | E 10 | SSW 15 | E 7 |
384 | 561 | 578 | 154 | 133 | 301 | 172 | 516 | 850 | 1288 | 324 | 481 | 188 | 349 | 270 | 432 | 116 | 69 | 91 | 302 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | S 14 | E 10 | S 9 | SSW 11 | SW 22 | S 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 9 | E 11 |
81 | 118 | 90 | 64 | 42 | 205 | 136 | 67 | 545 | 48 | 162 | 161 | 118 | 135 | 336 | 140 | 270 | 144 | 2 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | — | NE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 14 | E 9 | — | S 26 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SE 8 | S 10 | SE 8 | E 10 | S 9 | S 20 | SSW 14 |
18 | 8 | 5 | — | 15 | 58 | 102 | 200 | 28 | — | 13 | 29 | 41 | 68 | 48 | 29 | 44 | 6 | 8 | 41 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 4 | SW 6 | — | S 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 |
18 | 56 | — | 657 | 509 | — | — | — | — | 183 | 465 | 139 | 439 | 361 | — | 287 | 151 | 107 | 198 | 362 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 0 | 28 | 587 | 461 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 489 | 873 | 380 | 489 | 432 | 10 | 190 | 432 | 10 | 271 | 431 | 153 |
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.











