Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've been staring at this forecast for the Cintsa West area. It's a mixed bag of a run, with a couple of standout windows if you're patient, but plenty of average to poor stuff to wade through first.

The first real surf we see won't be until Friday the 10th of July, with a solid 8ft groundswell from the S at 13 seconds. That's a lot of energy (2042) for a point break, but it comes with a cross SSW wind at 9 mph, turning it into a bit of a messy beast. The water is a chilly 64°, which is a whopping 4° colder than normal for this time of year – so you'll want a thick wetsuit. It's marginal at best, and honestly, I'd give it a miss. The cleanliness doesn't improve much through the weekend or early next week, with lingering onshore winds and a mix of shorter period swell.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Tuesday the 14th of July. The swell has dropped to 5ft from the ESE at 8 seconds, but the wind is glassy – WSW at 3 mph. The energy is moderate (446), and you'll get some small, clean lines. It's a tiny window of goodness before the wind shifts onshore in the afternoon.

We then hit a flat, quiet spell until Thursday the 16th of July. The morning is where it gets interesting. The swell drops to 4ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 15 seconds – that's a proper long-period groundswell. The energy is moderate (821), and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the WSW at 3 mph. This is your best bet for a long, clean ride. The break is a known point, which is perfect for these long-period swells, but remember it's inconsistent, so expect gaps between sets. The water is still cold, but the conditions are primo for a Thursday morning session.

The real standout, though, is Saturday the 18th of July. The morning session is shaping up to be a cracker. The swell is back up to a solid 6ft from the S at 14 seconds, with a huge energy reading of 1424. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the WSW at 3 mph, which should keep the point's face clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – that 6ft can get a bit chunky for beginners. It's only a short window, though, as the wind swings onshore in the afternoon.

Looking further out, the big one to pencil in is Thursday the 23rd of July. The morning session is forecast to have a 8ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period and a massive energy reading of 3357. The wind is forecast to be glassy from the SE. This is a serious swell for experts only – over 8ft is too big for most, and this is right on the edge. It's a long-range call, so it's promising but less certain. If it lines up, it will be a monster day at the point.

Summing up, don't bother with this weekend. The best windows are the mornings of Thursday the 16th and Saturday the 18th of July, with the 18th looking like the better of the two. The long-range promise of the 23rd is exciting, but we'll have to see how it develops.

Rusty.

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