
Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 3,736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 2.2m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m 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 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here.
Let’s get into the story for Cintsa West. This point break loves a good SSE to S groundswell, and we’ve got a few pulses coming through. The winds are the main problem, though—they’re going to mess with the surface on plenty of days.
The water is sitting at 65° right now, which is about 3° colder than average for this time of year, so it’ll feel noticeably chilly.
Wednesday the 8th of July starts small with a 3ft SSW swell at a 13-second period. That’s a nice long-period groundswell, but the wind is a messy cross-shore at 15 mph. The energy is low (365), so not much going on.
Thursday the 9th gets heavy. We’re looking at a 10ft swell in the morning, with massive energy (4831). That’s a big number, well over 8ft, so this is expert territory only. The wind is still a cross-shore mess, so the quality is marginal.
Friday the 10th of July is the diamond in the rough. The morning session calls for an 8ft S swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 2346. The wind is a light SW cross-off at 9 mph. That’s the recipe for clean, powerful faces on the point. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, and the point will really line up those long-period sets.
Thursday the 16th brings another pulse of 6ft SSW swell at a 10-second period (974 energy). The wind is a strong WSW cross-off at 22 mph, which keeps it clean, but the swell period is on the shorter side. It’s a windy, powerful option for the brave.
Moving into the second week, Tuesday the 21st of July afternoon has some quality returning. A 6ft S swell at 14 seconds (1618 energy) with a light cross-shore wind. That’s proper groundswell energy.
Then Wednesday the 22nd of July is another big one. We’ve got a 7ft SSW swell with a 16-second period—that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is huge (over 2200), and the wind is a fresh cross-off at 22 mph. It’s going to be clean and powerful, but only for experts. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out to be sure.
Thursday the 23rd drops to a 6ft swell (1357 energy), but the wind swings to a moderate cross-shore, which ruins the surface.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag. The one to lock in is Friday morning, July the 10th—big, clean sets for the experienced crew. And keep a loose eye on Wednesday the 22nd for another big, clean groundswell window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | E 7 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
273 | 1423 | 3186 | 1657 | 2824 | 2333 | 1866 | 1430 | 1118 | 1071 | 819 | 596 | 411 | 349 | 762 | 382 | 401 | 223 | 229 | 245 | 281 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | glassy |
High Tide | 9:47PM1.31m | 10:26AM1.08m | 11:11PM1.30m | 12:02PM1.11m | 00:34AM1.34m | 1:20PM1.20m | 1:43AM1.43m | 2:21PM1.33m | 2:40AM1.52m | 3:12PM1.46m | 3:29AM1.59m | 3:59PM1.57m | 4:13AM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:07PM0.44m | 4:22AM0.49m | 4:26PM0.49m | 5:49AM0.46m | 5:57PM0.48m | 7:07AM0.38m | 7:17PM0.40m | 8:09AM0.27m | 8:22PM0.29m | 9:00AM0.16m | 9:16PM0.19m | 9:45AM0.07m | 10:04PM0.13m | 10:26AM0.02m | |||||||
— | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | |
5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | 5:17 | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 20 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 9 |
273 | 1155 | 1635 | 1657 | 2824 | 2333 | 1866 | 1430 | 1118 | 1071 | 819 | 596 | 411 | 289 | 489 | 382 | 401 | 223 | 229 | 245 | 281 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | E 14 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — | SW 16 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 |
23 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | 10 | 188 | 146 | 136 | 96 | 90 | 60 | 39 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | E 9 | SE 9 | NE 8 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | S 14 | SSE 13 | S 12 | SSE 7 | S 9 | S 20 | S 18 |
5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 93 | 59 | 12 | 36 | 42 | 7 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | E 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | ENE 8 | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — |
64 | 1423 | 3186 | 1452 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 42 | 150 | 349 | 762 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 297 | 1 | 105 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 431 | 1 | 180 | 380 | 295 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 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.











