Cintsa West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Cintsa West.

Right off the bat, the next couple of days are pretty quiet. We’ve got some inconsistent swell and a bit of a slow start. Wednesday morning sees a small 4.6ft SSW swell with a 13-second period and moderate energy (728), but the wind is a cross-shore NE breeze at 19 mph, so expect a bumpy, marginal start to the day. The real standout on Wednesday is the afternoon: the swell stays around 4.3ft from the SSW with that lovely 13-second period, and the wind goes glassy—ESE at only 3 mph. That’s a rare window of clean, smooth conditions for an otherwise inconsistent point break. The water is about 3.2°F cooler than the long-term average at 64.4°F, so a bit colder than usual, but don’t let that put you off.

Thursday builds fast. The morning drops to 3.3ft, but the swell period stretches to 14 seconds. However, winds are cross-shore and strength means some lump. The afternoon brings a jump to a solid 7.5ft SSW swell with very strong energy (2107), so that’s for more experienced surfers only, especially given the cross-onshore wind.

Friday starts with a cleaner 4.6ft SSW swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is light and cross-onshore, so don’t expect perfection. By Friday afternoon, the wind picks up and the quality drops quickly.

Saturday looks like write-off with fresh cross-shore winds and messy conditions. The good news? A big change is on the horizon. Thursday the 27th of August morning looks like the best bet in the entire outlook: a clean 3.9ft S swell with a 12-second period, moderate energy (709), and a light offshore NW breeze—offshore wind for that optimum SE direction (the guidance says optimum is from the SE, so this offshore wind will be magic). The break is inconsistent, so be patient, but when the sets come, they’ll be clean.

Friday the 28th morning also offers clean offshore conditions with a 3.3ft S swell, but it’s smaller and the energy is lower.

A big spike shows up on the 31st of August Monday morning—a 9.8ft ENE swell with a short 9-second period and massive energy (2314). That’s a full-bodied, expert-only swell with messy cross-shore winds and a short period, so it will be a wild, bumpy beast—likely more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The very tail of the outlook, Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon, offers a small but glassy 3.3ft E swell, a fresh change of direction.

Overall, the standout is definitely Thursday morning the 27th of August at Cintsa West, with clean offshore wind and a nicely sized, well-perioded swell. Wednesday afternoon the 19th is another brief but excellent window if you want a glassy session sooner. For the rest, you’ll be picking through marginal conditions.

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