Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 4,254 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cintsa West this week:
The surf forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Cintsa West.
Right off the bat, the first few days look a bit lackluster. The surf is small and messy, with cross-shore winds and only marginal energy. We’re looking at a gap of a few days before anything really starts to fire. The water temperature is sitting at 65°, which is a fair bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 3° colder, so you’ll want a decent steamer.
The real action starts to build from Thursday the 16th. The swell picks up, coming from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy jumps to a solid 1388 (moderate). The wind is still cross-shore, but it’s light. That’s a promising sign, but the quality is still marginal.
Now, the standout period is Friday the 17th. The morning brings a solid 8ft SW swell with a 13-second period, and the combined energy hits 2288 (strong). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but this is the best size and energy of the whole run. The afternoon backs off a bit, but still holds at 6ft. This is the one to watch for the first week.
The following week has a couple of interesting windows. Tuesday the 21st morning is a real gem – glassy conditions with the wind dead calm, and a 3ft SSW swell with a very long 15-second period. The energy is 780 (moderate), and the comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s a beautiful morning for a point break, as the long period will wrap in nicely. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 7ft, but the wind turns onshore, so the morning is your window.
Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd keep the size up with 7ft and 8ft SSW swells, but those are getting big. At 8ft, that’s expert territory, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’ll be lumpy. Only for the brave.
After that, the swell fades and the wind gets messy. The last real highlight is Sunday the 26th morning, with a clean 2ft SSW swell and a very long 16-second period. The wind is cross-offshore, making for clean conditions. It’s small, but for a longer board, it’ll be fun.
Overall, the best on offer is Friday the 17th morning for the biggest, most powerful surf, and Tuesday the 21st morning for the cleanest, glassy conditions. Cintsa West is an inconsistent spot, so when it lines up, it’s worth the wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 8 | SW 11 | E 11 | E 10 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 553 | 518 | 441 | 392 | 433 | 745 | 267 | 252 | 1730 | 767 | 331 | 520 | 449 | 314 | 184 | 273 | 423 | 349 | 467 | 522 | 365 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 3:59PM1.57m | 4:13AM1.62m | 4:42PM1.64m | 4:54AM1.61m | 5:23PM1.67m | 5:33AM1.56m | 6:02PM1.65m | 6:10AM1.47m | 6:40PM1.58m | 6:47AM1.37m | 7:18PM1.48m | 7:24AM1.25m | 7:57PM1.36m | 8:06AM1.13m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:04PM0.13m | 10:26AM0.02m | 10:49PM0.10m | 11:05AM0.00m | 11:30PM0.13m | 11:42AM0.03m | 00:11AM0.19m | 12:17PM0.10m | 00:50AM0.28m | 12:52PM0.20m | 1:29AM0.38m | 1:28PM0.32m | 2:11AM0.48m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 |
 | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | 5:22 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 553 | 518 | 441 | 392 | 424 | 329 | 267 | 252 | 396 | 767 | 331 | 520 | 449 | 314 | 184 | 175 | 423 | 263 | 467 | 522 | 265 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 10 | SW 4 | SSE 10 | SSW 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 5 | E 6 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SSW 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 26 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 105 | 186 | 210 | 245 | 162 | 128 | 94 | 94 | 34 | 59 | 108 | 273 | 83 | 349 | 278 | 209 | 365 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | S 10 | — | — | S 14 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 12 | SE 13 | E 10 | E 10 | S 14 | E 10 | ENE 4 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 20 | 15 | 16 | 8 | 27 | 128 | 68 | 2 | — | — | 59 | 96 | 68 | 103 | 172 | 65 | 30 | 93 | 17 | 4 | 150 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | — | SSW 6 | SW 8 | SW 11 | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 8 | — | ENE 2 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | 18 | 433 | 745 | — | — | 1730 | — | — | 13 | 70 | — | 9 | 75 | 150 | — | 1 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 295 | 271 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Cintsa West Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cintsa West provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cintsa West can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cintsa West surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Cintsa West) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Cintsa West may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Cintsa West, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, consider staying in East London which is 28 km (17 miles) away. Other places in and around Eastern Cape - Wild Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Butterworth which is 56 km (35 miles) away, Stutterheim and Bisho.
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