Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the look ahead for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming our way at Cintsa West. The water is sitting at 64° right now, which is much colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a solid spring suit.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Monday morning the 20th has some waist-high swell from the SW, around 6 ft, but it’s coming in with a cross-offshore wind and a period of 10 seconds. The energy is big, with a reading of 1720, but the conditions are described as marginal, so it’s not a day to get too excited. The afternoon drops off quick.

Tuesday the 21st is better. The morning is glassy, with a clean 4 ft swell from the SE and a period of 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 671, and the calm wind means it’ll be smooth. This is a decent window for an intermediate surfer to get some clean lines. The afternoon stays glassy with a smaller 3 ft SSW swell, but that long 15-second period will give it some push.

Wednesday and Thursday are a bit of a write-off with cross-shore winds and chop. Friday the 24th has a morning swell from the SSW at 4 ft with a very long 18-second period, and the energy is strong at 1712. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but that long period groundswell will wrap around the point nicely. The afternoon picks up to 7 ft from the S, but it gets a bit choppy.

The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is the stretch from the 1st of August into the 2nd. Saturday morning the 1st kicks off with a solid 10 ft SSW swell, a period of 10 seconds, and a clean offshore wind from the NW. The energy is strong at 1911. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 12 ft from the SSW, still clean, with an energy reading of 2428. This is big, expert-only territory, but for those who can handle it, these will be some of the best waves of the window. Sunday the 2nd holds strong with 8 ft SSW swell in the morning, and the energy rockets to 3691, the highest of the whole forecast. The wind stays clean, so expect some serious power and long walls.

A couple of other decent sessions: Monday the 27th has a clean morning with a 3 ft SSW swell and a 15-second period, and the wind is offshore. It’s small but glassy and clean. And Friday the 31st has a morning offshore wind with a 4 ft S swell, period of 12 seconds. That’s a clean, fun size for intermediates.

The end of the second week, around the 3rd and 4th of August, the swell drops back to the 5 ft to 7 ft range, but the winds turn more cross-shore, so it’s not as clean as the peak.

Overall, the best bet is the 1st and 2nd of August, but that’s for the big dogs. For the rest of us, Tuesday the 21st and Friday the 31st are the most reliable windows for a clean, manageable session.

Keep an eye on the tides and don’t sleep on that long-period groundswell - it’s going to make the point work.

Rusty.

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