Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, ENE swell with 2,563 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period with SSW 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 18s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
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 cookin’ for Cintsa West over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, so don’t be in a rush.
We’re looking at a long wait. The first few days are a write-off, with poor conditions and messy wind. The real action doesn’t start to build until the end of the first week. The standout window is shaping up to be the morning of Thursday, 30 July, and the morning of Friday, 31 July. That Thursday morning, the wind is glassy, dead calm, and we’ve got a clean 3 ft swell from the ESE. That’s what you dream about – perfect, clean lines. The water temp is sitting around 68°F, which is pretty average for the time of year, nothing to complain about.
Friday morning is also a winner. The wind is cross-offshore from the NE, light, and the waves are 3 ft from the ESE. It’s gonna be clean and fun. If you can only get out once, these are the sessions to target.
The whole Cintsa West area is a point break, which is a classic setup. It’s inconsistent, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait for the sets. Crowds are *sometimes* around, so you might have some company. The combined swell energy for the Thursday morning session is a solid moderate energy (907), and the long period from the groundswell will mean the waves have real shape and power, but there will be longer gaps between sets.
The second week gets a bit bumpy, but the morning of Monday, 10 August, looks promising. That’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. It’s a clean 3 ft from the S with a very long period of 14 seconds, and cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong (1313), but the long period will make it a bit walled-up in the lineup. It’s a good one for experienced surfers who know how to read the peak.
The swell from Sunday, 9 August, is pushing over 8 ft from the S, which is big and powerful, but the wind is howling cross-shore from the NE. For a point break, it’s a tough call. The energy is very strong (2459), but it’s going to be messy. Might be more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle day.
Overall, don’t get your hopes up for the first few days. The real surf starts on the 30th. Enjoy those clean, glassy mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 59mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the NE by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 206 | 823 | 740 | 477 | 542 | 433 | 361 | 407 | 512 | 520 | 599 | 573 | 603 | 597 | 593 | 623 | 1084 | 1099 | 1382 | 1569 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:06PM1.29m | 3:11AM1.39m | 3:37PM1.39m | 3:42AM1.46m | 4:07PM1.48m | 4:11AM1.52m | 4:35PM1.55m | 4:39AM1.54m | 5:03PM1.60m | 5:07AM1.54m | 5:31PM1.62m | 5:36AM1.52m | 6:01PM1.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:04PM0.39m | 9:25AM0.25m | 9:36PM0.31m | 9:54AM0.16m | 10:07PM0.24m | 10:21AM0.10m | 10:36PM0.20m | 10:48AM0.06m | 11:06PM0.17m | 11:15AM0.05m | 11:36PM0.17m | 11:43AM0.07m | 00:08AM0.20m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | — | 25 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SSE 8 | SSW 14 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
| kJ | 198 | 823 | 637 | 477 | 542 | 385 | 170 | 346 | 512 | 520 | 599 | 573 | 603 | 470 | 33 | 29 | 749 | 880 | 1041 | 895 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | S 11 | E 8 | SSW 15 | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | W 18 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | E 13 |
| kJ | 206 | 60 | 22 | 462 | 23 | 433 | 361 | 407 | 395 | 322 | 312 | 273 | 147 | 120 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 21 | 41 | 156 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ENE 9 | — | E 9 | — | E 9 | E 7 | E 10 | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SW 18 | SSW 15 | S 10 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 33 | 25 | — | 14 | — | 45 | 81 | 94 | — | — | — | 25 | 86 | — | — | — | 12 | 21 | 19 | 84 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 7 | SSE 9 | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 122 | 226 | 740 | — | 359 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 597 | 593 | 623 | 1084 | 1099 | 1382 | 1569 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 323 | 105 | 357 | 512 | 166 | 166 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 138 | 100 | 306 | 432 | 180 | 78 | 123 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cintsa West surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest