Cintsa West Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.83° S 28.12° E

Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cintsa West sea temperature is
18.9°C
0.9° 

Cintsa West surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cintsa West surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 17s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, S swell with 4,554 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Tue 25th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Wed 26th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 17s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 26th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 17s

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 coming down the line at Cintsa West. This spot is a point break that really needs that SE swell to line up, and it’s an inconsistent wave—so when it fires, you want to be on it.

Water temp is sitting at 66°, which is just a touch cooler than average for this time of year, nothing too wild.

Alright, the next 16 days are a mixed bag with some serious energy coming through, but we have to wait for the right windows.

We start off with a bit of a flat spell. Tuesday the 25th has some 4ft to 6ft S/SSW swell, but the cross-shore winds (9-12 mph) and a cross-chop make it pretty average. The combined wave energy is moderate to strong, but the quality isn't there for a good paddle. Wednesday the 26th actually sees the swell jump to 8-10ft from the S, but it's cross-onshore and choppy, especially in the afternoon with 12 mph winds—that’s going to be messy and more of a kite session than a surf. Thursday the 27th drops back a little but the strong 19 mph NE cross-shore wind makes it lumpy.

The first real standout is Friday the 28th morning. We’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the ENE with a light N wind (6 mph) blowing cross-offshore. The wave energy is strong, and the report says "clean." That will be a proper wave on the point, but at this size, it's pushing intermediate territory. The offshore wind and decent period (10 seconds) mean longer, better-shaped lines. Just note that crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, but on a Friday morning you might get a few sets to yourself.

Saturday the 29th morning also looks promising with a 10ft ENE swell and light N cross-offshore winds (9 mph), making it clean again with strong energy. That is right on the edge of being a handful though—best for experienced surfers.

There’s a bit of a lull from Sunday the 30th through Monday the 31st, with small, weak swell and onshore wind. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, the real standout of the entire period is Friday the 4th of September morning. It’s glassy—dead calm winds (3 mph from the SSW)—and we’ve got a strong 10ft SSE groundswell pumping in. The wave energy is huge, and it’s labelled as "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The swell direction (SSE) is not its absolute optimum, but the glassy conditions and that much power are a rare treat at this inconsistent point. This could be a day to remember if you have the skills.

Saturday the 5th of September is a beast, but it’s just too big. 23ft SE swell with a long period—that’s enormous. The report even says the swell is too big for this break. It will close out the point or turn into a washing machine. Only for the kamikaze crew or maybe just watch from the sand. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are still pumping big (12-15ft) but with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, it’s wonky and tricky.

After that, the swell hangs around the 8-12ft mark through the second week, but the wind turns cross-onshore or onshore, so the quality drops off. It's surfable but not the clean windows we saw in the first week.

So, to wrap it up: mark your calendar for Friday morning the 28th of August for a clean, fun session, and if you’re an experienced surfer, Friday morning the 4th of September is the big, glassy standout. Don't sleep on it, because this break is inconsistent, and that’s the kind of day you’ll tell stories about.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the NE by Wed night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
4
0
1
1
1
4
4
3
4
3
3
1
1
1
3
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
S
17
1.8
SSW
16
1.4
SSW
14
2.5
S
17
3
S
16
2.1
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.6
S
12
2.5
ENE
10
2.4
ENE
10
1.6
E
10
2.5
ENE
10
3
ENE
10
2.5
ENE
10
1.6
E
10
1.8
SW
7
1.8
SSW
8
1.7
SSW
9
0.8
E
10
0.8
S
11
0.8
E
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
708
1596
763
3734
4034
1556
772
784
1320
1077
489
1374
1633
1339
520
278
402
402
122
151
122
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
20
SSW
10
WNW
10
E
20
ENE
30
NE
30
NE
25
NE
10
NNE
10
N
15
ENE
15
NNE
15
N
15
ENE
25
WSW
20
SW
25
SSW
0
ESE
10
SE
15
ENE
15
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
glassy
on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
2:49PM1.34m
2:53AM1.40m
3:15PM1.47m
3:20AM1.50m
3:41PM1.58m
3:47AM1.57m
4:07PM1.67m
4:14AM1.61m
4:34PM1.73m
4:42AM1.62m
5:01PM1.74m
5:11AM1.59m
5:30PM1.71m
Low Tide
8:37AM0.33m
8:50PM0.36m
9:03AM0.21m
9:17PM0.25m
9:28AM0.11m
9:45PM0.15m
9:53AM0.03m
10:12PM0.08m
10:19AM-0.01m
10:41PM0.05m
10:46AM-0.02m
11:10PM0.05m
11:14AM0.01m
11:40PM0.09m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
5:47
5:49
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
18
19
16
17
18
18
21
26
22
32
33
25
32
33
26
20
20
17
20
19
19
Feels °C
16
16
15
16
15
14
16
22
19
29
31
23
29
32
25
17
16
16
20
19
18
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Cintsa West:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cintsa West surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest