Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Cintsa West. It’s a bit of a mixed bag this fortnight, with plenty of days you’ll want to sleep in. The wave energy is generally low to moderate for most of the period, but there is one absolute standout that has me frothing.

We start off weak. Thursday the 13th has a 2 ft to 2 ft SSW groundswell with a long 20-22 second period, but a stiff 16 mph NE cross-breeze is going to chop it up. The combined energy is moderate (800 dropping to 734), but the wind is a killer—it’s a write-off. Friday the 14th is looking pretty average too; a short-period 6 ft ENE windswell (7 seconds) is on the way, but it’s blown out by a NE cross-breeze. That’s over 5 ft so it’s a bit much for beginners, but the quality is poor. Not worth a paddle.

Saturday the 15th is a little cleaner with a light SSW breeze, but the swell drops to 4 ft from the east with a short 8-second period. The energy is weak (240) and it’s just marginal. Sunday the 16th sees the swell back up to 5 ft from the ENE, but again short period and cross-shore winds keep it messy.

Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th stay small and weak, with 4 ft to 3 ft east swells and light winds. It’s still marginal at best. Wednesday the 19th is poor with a 2 ft SSW swell picking up to 3 ft later, but cross-onshore winds ruin it. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are totally flatlined with weak energy and rain—just stay home.

Now, here’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. Saturday the 22nd of August is the clear standout. The morning is glassy—absolutely dead calm (0 mph wind) with a clean NW offshore flow. Swell jumps to a solid 5 ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period, pumping out strong to very strong wave energy (1703). This is a proper groundswell. The long period makes this point break (Cintsa West) the perfect setup; it’ll reel off with shape and power. That 5 ft is a bit much for beginners, but intermediate and up will be in heaven. The water temp is 65°, which is a bit colder than normal for the time of year (anomaly of -3°). Afternoon sees the swell building to 7 ft (energy 2037), but a light S breeze brings a bit of cross-onshore wind, so it’ll still be good but not as pristine as the morning glass. This one’s for the experienced crew.

We drop off quickly after that. Sunday the 23rd is back to 3 ft with SW cross-winds, and the rest of the week is small and weak. Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 26th are all poor with tiny, weak SSE swells and cross-breezes. Wednesday the 26th has a brief moment of glassy conditions with a tiny 3 ft SSW groundswell, but it’s only weak energy (269) and you’ll be scratching for waves. Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are small and onshore—the only note is Friday the 28th sees a SSW groundswell of 4 ft with a 15-second period, but cross-shore wind holds it back.

So, bottom line: you’ve got a long gap of mediocrity until the 22nd. That Saturday morning is the absolute gem—first light glass, solid groundswell, and a point break that will handle the long period beautifully. Be there early. It’s a quiet spot with only occasional crowds, so you might have some gems to yourself. After that, it’s back to the waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more