Cintsa West Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.83° S 28.12° E

Issued: 1 am 07 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cintsa West sea temperature is
18.3° C

1.9°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 7 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, S swell with 3,406 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Tue 7th Jul)2ft (0.6m) 10s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 9th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 10th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s

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


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s brewing for the next couple of weeks at Cintsa West.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. The first few days are a bit of a write-off with messy, cross-shore wind and weak little waves. You’re looking at small 2.3 ft swell from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds on Tuesday morning, but it’s bumpy and poor. The water is sitting at 64.9 °F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. Honestly, not much reason to paddle out until we get past the midweek.

Things start to wake up on Thursday the 9th. Swell builds to 6.9 ft from the S (period 13 seconds) by morning, and the energy is climbing (1525). But that cross-shore wind from the SW keeps it lumpy. By Thursday afternoon, it’s pushing 9.8 ft (4161 energy), but still cross-shore – more of a messy, powerful ocean than clean surf.

Friday the 10th morning is the first real glimmer: 9.8 ft from the S with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind goes very light, nearly glassy (3.1 mph from the SSW), so it might be clean but it’s still cross-shore, so expect some wonkiness. That long 15-second period means it’ll be powerful and might throw some bigger sets. This is still a big swell (over 8.2 ft), so really just for experienced surfers.

The big standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Saturday the 11th of July. The morning brings 6.9 ft of S swell (period 13 seconds) with the wind going glassy – that’s a 3.1 mph breeze from the NNE. That’s clean as a whistle, no chop. The afternoon holds up with 5.2 ft and glassy conditions. That’s proper fun-size swell, long-period ground energy, and silky conditions. This is your best bet for the whole outlook. It’s a point break here at Cintsa West, so that long-period S swell will wrap in nicely, and you won’t get the drain-pipe closeouts you’d see at a beach. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, but on a Saturday with that quality, expect some company.

Sunday the 12th drops off a bit quality-wise. Swell drops to 8.2 ft but period crashes to 8 seconds – that’s short-period wind swell, and with a cross-shore wind it’ll be lumpy. The afternoon cleans up a touch with a cross-off shore breeze, but the energy (1107) is still weak-ish for the size.

Monday the 13th stays similar: 6.6 ft from the ESE (period 10 seconds) but a moderate cross-offshore wind keeps it clean-ish. Not a stunner.

Tuesday the 14th morning is another gem. Glassy conditions – winds calm, zero mph – and 7.9 ft of SSW swell (period 9 seconds). That’s a bit of a shorter period, but it’s powerful enough (1142 energy) and with flat-calm glass, you’ll be surfing silky lines. This is another standout for experienced surfers, given the size.

Wednesday the 15th sees a nice offshore wind from the NW (12.4 mph) with 4.9 ft from the ESE (10 seconds). Clean conditions and a manageable size – this one opens up for intermediates too. The afternoon holds clean with a cross-off breeze.

From there, the second week gets a bit more of a mixed bag. Friday the 17th brings 7.5 ft from the SW (period 13 seconds) with light cross-shore winds – not clean but promising energy (2587). Saturday the 18th morning is glassy again with 3.6 ft from the S (period 12 seconds) – smaller but clean. The afternoon goes glassy again with 6.2 ft from the SSE (7 seconds – short period, dumpy).

Then Sunday the 19th afternoon: look out. 11.5 ft from the SE (period 10 seconds) with glassy conditions – dead calm wind. That’s a serious amount of water (2938 energy) and absolutely clean. This is for experts only, no question. That’s the biggest clean swell of the whole run.

Monday the 20th stays heavy: 13.1 ft from the SE (10 seconds) but with a cross-offshore breeze, still clean but monstrous. The energy is off the charts (3051).

And then Tuesday the 21st afternoon is a shot of pure, raw power: 16.4 ft from the S (11 seconds) with light cross-onshore wind. The combined energy hits 11125 – that’s a massive ocean. That’s only for the bravest, most experienced locals.

So, bottom line: Saturday the 11th of July is your crystal-clear winner for the best all-round session – good size, long-period groundswell, and glassy perfection. Tuesday the 14th morning is a close runner-up for similar conditions. If you’re after big, clean power, Sunday the 19th afternoon is one for the thrill-seekers.

Keep in mind the long-range stuff is always a bit of a tease – forecasts can shift – but

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the W by Sun night).

Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
2
1
0
3
2
3
4
4
2
4
4
4
0
2
2
2
2
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
13
1.9
SW
10
2.1
S
13
3
SSW
13
2.5
S
14
3
S
15
2.5
S
14
2.2
S
13
2.1
S
13
1.6
S
13
2.2
SE
7
2.5
ESE
8
2.5
SE
8
3
ESE
10
2
ESE
10
1.7
SSW
8
1.9
SSW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
173
161
140
242
273
696
1514
2509
2570
3406
2437
1667
1442
851
521
898
902
1366
732
355
510
Wind (km/h)
20
SW
15
SSW
5
NNW
10
SW
25
SW
15
WSW
20
SW
20
SW
10
WSW
5
SSW
10
S
5
NW
5
NNE
5
S
15
SSW
20
SW
25
W
25
W
25
WSW
20
SW
10
WNW
Wind State
cross
cross
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
8:40PM1.35m
9:02AM1.13m
9:47PM1.31m
10:26AM1.08m
11:11PM1.30m
12:02PM1.11m
00:34AM1.34m
1:20PM1.20m
1:43AM1.43m
2:21PM1.33m
2:40AM1.52m
3:12PM1.46m
3:29AM1.59m
Low Tide
2:08PM0.36m
3:04AM0.47m
3:07PM0.44m
4:22AM0.49m
4:26PM0.49m
5:49AM0.46m
5:57PM0.48m
7:07AM0.38m
7:17PM0.40m
8:09AM0.27m
8:22PM0.29m
9:00AM0.16m
9:16PM0.19m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
<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
7:07
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:14
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:16
 mm
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
Temp °C
22
21
16
21
21
17
19
17
16
17
17
16
17
19
16
18
17
16
17
18
15
Feels °C
18
18
17
19
17
14
16
13
13
15
14
16
17
19
13
15
13
10
12
14
14
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
10
2.1
S
13
2.2
SSW
13
2.5
S
14
3
S
15
2.5
S
14
2.2
S
13
2.1
S
13
1.6
S
13
2.2
SE
7
2.2
SE
8
2.5
SE
8
3
ESE
10
2
ESE
10
1.7
SSW
8
1.9
SSW
8
Energy kJ
173
161
140
242
273
339
1514
1641
2570
3406
2437
1667
1442
851
521
634
902
1366
732
355
510
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
ENE
7
0.5
ENE
8
0.5
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
9
1
SSW
13
0.2
E
10
0.2
ESE
10
0.1
E
9
0.2
ENE
9
0.2
ENE
9
0.2
ENE
8
0.2
ENE
8
1.4
SE
7
1.1
S
12
1
S
12
0.9
SSW
11
0.1
SW
16
1.6
SSW
8
1.4
ESE
9
1.2
E
9
Energy kJ
41
35
45
22
23
384
8
9
2
8
8
7
6
163
353
274
202
10
276
340
246
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SE
10
0.5
SE
10
0.4
ENE
8
0.3
ENE
7
0.3
ENE
7
0.2
ESE
10
0.1
SE
9
0.1
NE
8
0.1
NE
8
0.1
SE
13
0.1
SE
13
0.3
ENE
8
0.2
E
8
0.1
S
18
0.1
S
13
0.9
S
10
0.8
S
10
0.1
S
18
Energy kJ
50
48
27
11
10
10
3
2
2
7
7
12
5
6
3
167
130
6
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
2
0.7
SSW
5
1.1
SW
5
1.9
SW
10
3
SSW
13
1.1
E
5
1.2
ESE
6
2.5
ESE
8
2
SSW
7
2
SW
7
0.5
W
4
0.5
WNW
4
Energy kJ
1
19
49
696
2509
70
115
898
405
429
7
7
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
1
4
5
4
4
6
5
4
4
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
3
Distance (km)
28
1
0
1
297
1
28
324
0
1
28
0
0
0
1
28
105
100
132
28
0
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
2
4
5
5
6
5
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
3
3
4
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
4
5
6
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
7
5
7
9
8
9
7
7
6
7
5
5
5
5
5
5
9
9
7
5
6
  • 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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