Surf Forecasts:
Cintsa West surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SW swell with 2,401 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 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 coming down the line for Cintsa West.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 63° right now, which is a whopping 5° colder than usual for this time of year. That's a serious anomaly, so gear up properly if you're heading out.
The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We've got swell in the water, but the conditions are touch-and-go through Friday and Saturday with a light cross-shore breeze and marginal surf. The real standout window starts to open up on Sunday morning, July 19th. We're looking at a clean 3ft swell from the S with glassy conditions. The combined energy is moderate at 642, and that light offshore flow is going to make for some silky lines. Monday morning, July 20th, is also looking prime with another glassy session, 4ft from the SE and a combined energy of 981. Get on it.
Now, the real highlight? That's Thursday morning, July 24th, and it's a cracker. That's a solid 6ft groundswell from the SSW with a very long period of 17 seconds, packing a strong combined energy of 1947. The wind is glassy, so it's going to be clean. This is a point break, so that long-period energy will wrap in beautifully. This one is for the experienced crew, though; that size and power is not for beginners.
The run of good conditions continues into Monday, July 27th, with a clean 4ft swell from the SSW and a combined energy of 1272. The wind is cross-off, keeping the faces tidy.
Looking further out, the forecast gets a bit wild. Saturday morning, August 1st, things are looking promising but less certain. We're seeing a 8ft swell from the SW with a gentle offshore wind and clean conditions. The combined energy is a very strong 1787. That's a powerful swell, so only for the experts. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it has the potential to be the best of the whole run.
There's a bit of a lull in quality towards the end of July, with the 29th and 30th looking poor with rain and lumpy wind, so don't bother with those.
Keep it salty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | SE 13 | SW 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 390 | 593 | 302 | 469 | 467 | 416 | 227 | 486 | 1636 | 511 | 555 | 478 | 350 | 263 | 413 | 482 | 303 | 400 | 918 | 931 | 639 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:02PM1.65m | 6:10AM1.47m | 6:40PM1.58m | 6:47AM1.37m | 7:18PM1.48m | 7:24AM1.25m | 7:57PM1.36m | 8:06AM1.13m | 8:42PM1.23m | 9:00AM1.03m | 9:46PM1.13m | 10:35AM0.96m | 11:25PM1.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:42AM0.03m | 00:11AM0.19m | 12:17PM0.10m | 00:50AM0.28m | 12:52PM0.20m | 1:29AM0.38m | 1:28PM0.32m | 2:11AM0.48m | 2:08PM0.45m | 3:03AM0.57m | 3:00PM0.58m | 4:20AM0.64m | 4:26PM0.66m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 23 | 24 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 10 | SE 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 390 | 593 | 302 | 469 | 467 | 416 | 200 | 486 | 867 | 452 | 555 | 478 | 350 | 263 | 413 | 482 | 303 | 400 | 918 | 931 | 639 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 11 | S 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | S 15 | SE 11 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | ESE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 20 |
| kJ | 162 | 125 | 125 | 94 | 94 | 69 | 227 | 156 | 520 | 511 | 290 | 143 | 59 | 159 | 198 | 123 | 104 | 90 | 60 | 43 | 227 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 14 | E 10 | S 16 | SW 13 | SE 13 | SW 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 6 | SSW 12 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | SE 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 69 | 127 | 5 | 44 | 215 | 62 | 33 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 78 | 50 | 142 | 55 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 30 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | SW 8 | SW 10 | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | NE 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 262 | 1636 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | 164 | — | — | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 28 | 131 | 0 | 213 | 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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