Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag of a forecast for the next 16 days at Cintsa West. It’s a point break that needs the right conditions to really fire, and unfortunately, it’s looking like a bit of a waiting game. The inconsistency of this spot is going to be a real factor here.

The first solid opportunity kicks off on Thursday morning, September 3rd. We’re looking at a 3ft swell from the S, with an 11-second period. The combined swell energy is a moderate 318. The wind is light from the SSE, clocking in at 3 mph, keeping the surface glassy. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so nothing too wild.

Friday is a write-off. An 8ft to 10ft swell from the S and SSE, but it’s being hammered by strong onshore winds of 9-12 mph. That’s a messy, blown-out situation. The energy is strong (1792 and 1400), but the quality is just not there.

Saturday the 5th offers a small window with a 7ft swell from the ESE in the morning, but it’s a short period of 8 seconds and cross-onshore winds. The energy is moderate at 1165, but it’s going to be choppy. The afternoon cleans up slightly with a 4ft S swell and cross-shore wind, but it’s still a marginal call.

Sunday the 6th is a weird one. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW in the morning, but the period is a massive 24 seconds. The energy is moderate at 626. That’s a very long-period groundswell, which at a point break like this should be well-shaped, but the size is tiny. The afternoon bumps up to 4ft with the same direction and a 21-second period, and the energy is strong at 1371. The wind is cross-shore from the ENE, so it won’t be totally clean.

The best calling for the first week looks like Tuesday morning, September 8th. A 7ft swell from the ENE with a 9-second period, combined energy of 1378 (strong) and light cross-shore winds from the ENE at 9 mph. The water is clean, and the score of 3 out of 10 is the best we’ve seen so far. This is the one to pencil in.

Wednesday the 9th is similar. A 7ft ENE swell, 9-second period, moderate to strong energy at 1081, and almost glassy conditions with a light NE breeze at 3 mph. Very clean, but the wind is cross-shore, not offshore.

The second week is a bit of a gamble. There’s a promising pulse on Monday, September 14th with an 8ft ENE swell, 8-second period, and very strong energy (1856). The wind is light cross-onshore from the SSW, which isn’t ideal, but it might be rideable. Wednesday, September 16th also shows an 8ft ENE swell, 9-second period, with a massive 2041 energy score and gentle cross-shore winds. That’s a heavy, powerful swell, and at 8ft, it’s expert territory. The cross-shore wind will keep it slightly lumpy.

Honestly, there’s no single standout day that screams “perfect.” The surf is marginal and the wind is rarely your friend. The best bet for a clean, rideable wave is Tuesday morning, September 8th or Wednesday morning, September 9th – they’re the closest to a clean, medium-sized swell with light wind. For the second week, keep an eye on Wednesday, September 16th for the biggest, most powerful swell, but it’s a gamble on the wind.

Stay patient, watch the forecasts, and be ready to move on a change. The swell is there, but the conditions are fighting it.

Rusty.

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