Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next stretch.

We’re looking at a single spot for the whole outlook: Cintsa West (South Africa). The forecast is a mixed bag of pulses and lulls, with a lot of cross-shore chop to work through. The overall pattern is frustrating – there are waves, but the wind is often messy, so you’ll need to pick your windows carefully.

The water is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.

We kick off on Friday, 31 July. The morning sees a 5.9 ft ESE swell, period 9 seconds, but the wind is a cross-onshore at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate (808), but the conditions are choppy and the surf is marginal. The afternoon is similar, with the swell dropping to 5.6 ft.

Saturday, 1 August is a write-off. Cross-shore winds at 12 mph, 4.9 ft to 5.9 ft swell, but it’s choppy and confused. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday, 2 August brings a bigger swell – 6.9 ft to 7.2 ft from the ESE, period stretching to 11 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to strong (1226). But the wind is still cross-shore, and the surf is only marginal. This one is for the experienced crew only, as the size is well over 5 ft, and the wind isn’t doing it any favours. It’s still a bit messy.

Things start to look up on Monday, 3 August morning. The swell drops back to 5.9 ft, but the wind swings light and cross-shore from the NE at 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate (804). Conditions are still just marginal, but the light wind is a step in the right direction.

Tuesday, 4 August morning is the first real standout. We’ve got a 5.6 ft wave from the E, period 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the N at 6 mph. The combined energy is moderate (906), and the conditions are clean. This is your best bet of the early window – a proper point break wave with clean faces. The wind is favourable, making for some good, long rides. The break is inconsistent, so you’ll have to be patient for the sets, but when they come, they’ll be worth it. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

After that, the swell drops right off. Wednesday, 5 August morning is glassy – 3.0 ft from the ESE, period 9 seconds, with zero wind. The combined energy is weak (279). It’s clean, but small. A good session for a longboard or a funboard.

Thursday, 6 August and Friday, 7 August see a new SSW groundswell push, with periods up to 14 seconds. The combined energy is moderate to strong (631 to 1130), but the wind is cross-shore and fresh. There’s a window on Friday morning with a 5.2 ft SSW swell and moderate cross-shore wind, but it’s still only marginal. The afternoon is a dirty mess with 19 mph winds.

Saturday, 8 August morning is another clean window. The swell is down to 3.3 ft from the SSW, period 13 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the N at 9 mph. Combined energy is moderate (538). Clean conditions, but it’s a smaller, long-period groundswell. That long period (13 seconds) means it’ll have plenty of push, but at a point break like Cintsa West, it should line up nicely.

The second week is quieter. Sunday, 9 August to Wednesday, 12 August is a mix of small, short-period windswell, mostly cross-shore chop. Nothing to get excited about. Wednesday, 12 August morning sees a 5.6 ft S swell with a moderate combined energy (1031), but the wind is cross-shore and messy.

Thursday, 13 August is interesting. The morning has a 3.6 ft E swell with a fresh offshore NW wind at 19 mph. The combined energy is moderate (458). The afternoon is even tidier: a 2.3 ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, and a fresh offshore wind. The combined energy is moderate (625). That’s a clean, glassy point break setup, but it’s a very small swell. It’s the only clean session in the second week, but it’s small.

Friday, 14 August and Saturday, 15 August are poor, with onshore winds and light rain. The session on Saturday morning is clean with a light cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 2.6 ft and the combined energy is weak (196). It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

The true standout in the whole 16-day window is the morning of Tuesday, 4 August. That’s the one with the best combo of size (5.6 ft), good swell direction (E), and clean cross-offshore wind. If you can only surf one day, make it that one

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