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Cintsa Surf Report

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SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.4 m
SWELL
1.2m @ 8s
WIND
7 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
19.2°C

★★★☆☆

Fair — worth a paddle: waist-to-chest-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.

Swell: 1.2 m @ 8 s (S)

Wave height: 1.4 m

Wind: 7 km/h NNE Cross-shore

Sea temp: 19.2 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 07:00–09:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
19% match
Today: off its ideal window today
🌊 Wave type
Beach break
🧭 Best swell
ESE groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
WNW offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 Skill
Beginner-friendly on the smaller days
Ideal wind & swell are derived from the way this coast faces; break type is local knowledge. Match blends today’s swell angle, wind & period.

🌊 Why it’s reading like this right now

Cross-shore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven S swell at 8s is hitting at an angle
  • 6 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Cintsa surf mission card
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🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 3km/h Cross01:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 5km/h Onshore02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 2km/h Offshore03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 0km/h Offshore04:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 3km/h Onshore05:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 6km/h Cross06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 8km/h Cross09:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 12km/h Onshore10:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 12km/h Onshore11:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 17km/h Onshore12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 14km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 14km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 14km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 15km/h Onshore16:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 16km/h Onshore17:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 12km/h Onshore18:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 8km/h Cross19:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 6km/h Cross21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 5km/h Offshore23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 4km/h Offshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
3/2 mm full wetsuit
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
🌙Off-hours:Low light — likely quiet
Crowd estimate is a comfort/timing proxy from conditions & day of week — not a live crowd count.
Swell & wind
NESW
■ swell in   ■ wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
TueWedThuFriSat0.0m1.0m2.0m01734now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Mon 2 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.4 m 8 s S 14 km/h Onshore
Tue 3 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.5 m 8 s SSW 16 km/h Onshore
Wed 4 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.5 m 9 s SSW 15 km/h Onshore
Thu 5 Nov ★★☆☆☆ 1.7 m 8 s S 18 km/h Onshore
Fri 6 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.9 m 7 s SSW 20 km/h Cross
Sat 7 Nov ★★★☆☆ 1.8 m 8 s SSW 23 km/h Cross
Sun 8 Nov ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 9 s SSW 11 km/h Onshore

Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00L 02:55H 10:09L 16:37H 22:33now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:06 · Sunset 18:35 · Peak UV 1

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 30, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 30 sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Mon, 02 Nov 2026 21:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Cintsa

Crayonised aerial map of Cintsa
Beach break
Peak

Hand-styled from NGI 0.25 m national aerial. Markers show the peak, channel & hazards — indicative local knowledge, not live conditions or navigation advice; tides, banks, rips & hazards change, so use your own eyes on the day.

About Cintsa — Surf Local Knowledge

Cintsa (also spelt Chintsa) is a scenic seaside village just up the coast from East London, split into Cintsa East and Cintsa West by a lagoon and river mouth. Rolling dunes, a long sweep of sand and a tidal lagoon give it a quieter, wilder feel than the city beaches, marking the start of the softer transition towards the Wild Coast.

The surf is a beach break running along the open sand, with banks that form near the river mouth. It picks up south to south-east swell, is cleanest under a west to north-west offshore, and generally offers mellow, uncrowded waves that suit beginners and intermediates, though it can get punchy on a bigger swell. The lagoon is a safe spot for families and learners. Watch for rip currents along the beach and beside the river mouth, and keep the usual open-coast shark awareness.

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