Cintsa West Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.83° S 28.12° E

Issued: 7 am 04 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cintsa West sea temperature is
17.8° C

2.4°C colder than average for this time of year

Cintsa West surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cintsa West surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s period, S swell with 2,660 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period with SE 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cintsa West in the next 16 days are 2.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 05) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Sat 4th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Sat 4th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 12s
Most Powerful 5PM (Fri 10th Jul)7.5ft (2.3m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cintsa West over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Cintsa West over the next couple of weeks.

We’re kicking off with a real gem to start the weekend. Saturday morning the 4th of July is our absolute standout. Cintsa West is a point break that points into that SE swell, and we’ve got a solid 8 ft of swell pouring in with a deep, long 12-second period. The combined energy is pumping hard at 1773 – that’s a proper push of power. The wind is glassy, dead calm from the west at 3 mph. The water is sitting at 64°, but here’s the thing – it’s a whopping 4° colder than normal, so you’ll want a thicker suit. This setup is top-tier for experienced surfers; the waves will be peeling down the point with that offshore wind keeping ‘em smooth. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, but on a morning like this, it’ll be worth sharing a few. Best of the whole outlook, no question.

Sunday the 5th sees the swell drop to a cleaner 5 ft with the same 12-second SE pulse. Morning winds are light from the north, giving us a clean, cross-off look. It’s a good wave for intermediates, but the energy is dialing back to 633.

Monday the 6th fades further to around 3 ft with 11-second period from the SE. The morning has a cross-off breeze from the WSW, and the afternoon turns glassy from the ESE. These are clean but small – fun for a longboard, but nothing to get the heart racing.

Tuesday the 7th sees the swell switch to a longer-period SSW groundswell at 14 seconds, but the height is tiny at 2 ft. The morning brings offshore NW wind at 6 mph, making it clean, but you’ll be scratching for waves. The energy is a weak 212.

Wednesday the 8th is a write-off. The swell gets smaller and the wind picks up to 12 mph from the WSW, creating a lumpy cross-off chop. Not worth a paddle.

Now, here’s a little promise for the next weekend. Thursday the 9th of July brings a solid pulse of S swell, 7 ft with a long 14-second period. The combined energy jumps back up to 1804. Morning winds are light from the WSW – clean and cross-off. This is another excellent window, better suited for the experienced crew again. It’s not quite as glassy as Saturday morning, but it’s a big, powerful swell.

Friday the 10th keeps the S swell pushing at 7 ft to 8 ft through the day, with the period stretching to 16 seconds in the afternoon (very long period). The winds turn cross-on and it gets a bit ragged. For the experienced surfer, the incoming swell still holds plenty of energy (2688 in the arvo), but the cross-onshore will take the shine off the face.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th are messy. The swell drops and gets mixed up with strong onshore winds Sunday, hitting 19 mph from the NE. The energy is still there (901) but the period is a short, weak 8 seconds – more of a windswell chop. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

From Monday the 13th through the rest of the second week, we’re into inconsistent, weak surf. A few small pulses from the east and SSE, but mostly under 3 ft with short periods. Winds are all over the place. There’s a sniff of a 6 ft swell from the ENE on Thursday morning the 16th, but with an 8-second period, it won't hold much shape. The combined energy is 982 – moderate, but the quality just isn’t there. The best in this later stretch is probably Wednesday morning the 15th with 4 ft from the SSE at 9 seconds and light SW wind, but it’s hardly a standout.

So, to sum it up: Saturday morning the 4th and Thursday morning the 9th are your best bets. Grab those windows, and you’ll be smiling.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
4
Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
3
1
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
0
3
4
2
4
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.4
SE
12
2.1
SE
12
1.7
SE
12
1.5
SE
12
1.3
SE
11
1.1
SE
11
0.8
SE
11
0.8
SE
10
0.6
SE
10
0.6
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
13
0.4
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
13
1
SSW
13
2.1
S
14
2
S
14
1.9
S
13
2.2
S
13
2.3
S
16
2.3
S
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1711
1202
760
583
445
263
159
127
82
133
163
181
85
201
384
1779
1462
1264
1718
2660
2008
Wind (km/h)
5
W
5
SW
10
NNW
5
N
10
NE
10
NNW
5
WSW
5
ESE
10
N
10
NW
10
SW
10
W
20
WSW
20
SW
10
WSW
10
WSW
10
SSW
10
WSW
15
SW
15
S
15
SE
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
High Tide
6:30PM1.45m
6:33AM1.36m
7:06PM1.43m
7:12AM1.29m
7:48PM1.40m
7:59AM1.21m
8:40PM1.35m
9:02AM1.13m
9:47PM1.31m
10:26AM1.08m
11:11PM1.30m
12:02PM1.11m
00:34AM1.34m
Low Tide
12:10PM0.19m
00:34AM0.34m
12:44PM0.23m
1:15AM0.38m
1:22PM0.29m
2:04AM0.42m
2:08PM0.36m
3:04AM0.47m
3:07PM0.44m
4:22AM0.49m
4:26PM0.49m
5:49AM0.46m
5:57PM0.48m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:09
7:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:13
5:13
5:14
5:14
5:15
5:15
5:15
 mm
5
1
1
5
Temp °C
19
20
16
19
23
18
21
22
20
27
25
17
19
21
16
15
17
16
17
18
16
Feels °C
17
17
13
16
20
15
18
19
16
23
21
16
16
17
14
14
15
15
14
14
15
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.4
SE
12
2.1
SE
12
1.7
SE
12
1.5
SE
12
1.3
SE
11
1.1
SE
11
0.8
SE
11
0.8
SE
10
0.6
SE
10
0.6
SSW
14
0.7
ENE
8
0.8
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
13
1.2
S
8
2.1
S
14
2
S
14
1.9
S
13
2.2
S
13
2.3
S
16
2.3
S
14
Energy kJ
1711
1202
760
583
445
263
159
127
82
133
75
181
81
201
167
1779
1462
1264
1718
2660
2008
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ESE
12
0.4
SW
11
0.6
S
10
0.4
SW
10
0.4
SW
9
0.6
E
6
0.5
ENE
7
0.5
E
7
0.5
SW
12
0.5
ENE
7
0.7
SSW
14
0.5
ENE
8
0.4
SSW
15
0.3
ENE
8
1
SSW
13
0.3
E
10
0.2
E
10
0.3
ENE
9
0.3
ENE
9
0.3
ENE
8
0.2
ENE
8
Energy kJ
47
40
64
24
22
24
27
23
67
29
163
36
85
12
384
17
7
16
15
14
6
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
SW
20
0.3
ESE
12
0.4
SW
10
0.4
S
9
0.3
S
9
0.4
SW
14
0.4
SW
13
0.4
SSW
12
0.4
ENE
7
0.5
SE
10
0.5
SE
10
0.4
SE
10
0.4
ENE
8
0.3
SE
10
0.2
ESE
10
0.2
E
10
0.2
ENE
9
0.1
SE
14
0.3
ENE
9
0.3
ENE
8
Energy kJ
15
28
28
26
14
47
44
59
17
50
48
24
24
15
11
8
8
8
15
14
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
NE
3
0.6
ENE
4
0.2
SSW
2
0.4
SW
4
0.9
SW
6
1.1
SSW
6
Energy kJ
6
9
1
3
52
87
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
4
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
Distance (km)
0
1
0
0
43
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
28
323
0
0
1
0
28
1
213
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
4
4
4
4
4
5
4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
3
3
3
4
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
4
4
4
5
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
5
5
5
9
6
5
6
8
7
5
5
9
8
9
9
5
7
5
4
8
4
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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