Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, dialled into the local stretch. We’ve got a pretty packed 16-day window at Cintsa West, with a lot of small to moderate swell on the cards, but the real standouts are going to be the mornings where the wind plays ball.

The water’s sitting at a cool 65°F, which is about 3°F colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. Don’t let that put you off though, because there are some gems in here.

The Outlook

We kick off with some waves on Wednesday the 15th of July. The morning session is the pick of the first few days, with clean 5ft surf from the east at a nice 10-second period. The combined swell energy is moderate (462), and with a light cross-offshore breeze it should be pretty tidy out there. The afternoon gets a bit more crossed up and the score dips.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th see the swell dropping off into the 3ft to 4ft range, with some longer 13-14 second periods offering some quality shape, but the winds are cross to cross-on, so it’s not going to be perfect. The combined energy stays moderate, with Saturday the 18th seeing a bump up to 5-6ft from the south, but with a gentle cross-shore breeze it’s just okay.

Now, the first real standout hits on Monday the 20th of July. Get up early. The morning is glassy, absolutely flat calm, with clean 4ft waves from the SSW at a juicy 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 655, and you’ll have the place to yourself with that light air. This is the kind of session you get out of bed for. The afternoon goes onshore and dies, but that morning is the pick of the first week.

Tuesday the 21st of July morning is another glassy one with similar 4ft swell from the south at 14 seconds. But pay attention to the afternoon: the swell jumps to a strong 10ft from the SSW, with massive energy (4674). The wind is light and variable, but that is a big, powerful swell. That’s expert territory for the afternoon session, and it might be a bit lumpy with the variable breeze.

The absolute best on offer, hands down, is Wednesday the 22nd of July. The morning serves up clean 6ft surf from the SSW at 13 seconds, with a cross-offshore breeze and moderate energy (1231). That’s a fantastic combination. The afternoon gets even better, going glassy with clean 6ft sets from the south. Two top-tier windows in one day is a rare treat.

Thursday the 23rd of July turns into a big swell event, with 11ft to 13ft waves from the SSW. The combined energy is huge (6612 and 6829). That’s big, powerful ocean. With a moderate cross-shore breeze, it’s going to be a maelstrom out there. Only for experienced surfers, and honestly, with that much power and a cross-breeze, this setup might be more appealing for kite surfing than a standard paddle session.

The following week continues to offer waves. Friday the 24th of July morning is a solid standout: 7ft of south swell at a very long 15-second period with a clean cross-offshore breeze and strong energy (1795). That’s a proper groundswell, perfect for the point break here. The morning is the window. The afternoon drops off.

Saturday the 25th of July morning is another clean, cross-offshore morning with 5ft from the south at 13 seconds. The energy is solid (1094). Good conditions for intermediate surfers.

The final week of the forecast (from the 26th onwards) drops back into the 3ft to 4ft range, with long periods but often a bit of cross-breeze. Tuesday the 28th of July morning stands out with 4ft from the SSW at an incredible 18-second period and moderate energy (1002), but the wind is a gentle cross-shore. That long period is a groundswell gift for a point break like this, but expect very long lulls between sets. The rest of that week is mostly small and crossed up, with light rain moving in on the 29th and 30th of July making for poor conditions.

The Verdict

Mark your calendar for Monday 20th July (morning) and especially Wednesday 22nd July (all day). Those are your best bets for clean, fun waves with good shape. If you’ve got the skills, the morning of Friday the 24th is also a cracker with that long-period groundswell. The big days on the 23rd are for experts only. The later part of the month has a few small, clean windows, but nothing that will blow you away.

Stay stoked,

Rusty

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