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Cintsa Surf Report

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SURF RATING
GOOD
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.9 m
SWELL
1.6m @ 10s
WIND
19 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
18.8°C

★★★★☆

Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.

Swell: 1.6 m @ 10 s (S)

Wave height: 1.9 m

Wind: 19 km/h NE Cross-shore

Sea temp: 18.8 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 15:00–17:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
27% 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
  • Mid-period S swell at 10s is hitting at an angle
  • 19 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Cintsa surf mission card
Save or screenshot, then send it to your crew on WhatsApp.

🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 15km/h Cross01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 16km/h Cross02:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 19km/h Cross03:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 20km/h Cross04:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 15km/h Cross05:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 18km/h Cross06:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 19km/h Cross07:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 20km/h Cross08:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 10km/h Cross09:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore10:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 5km/h Cross11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore13:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore14:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore15:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 3km/h Cross16:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 13km/h Cross17:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 7km/h Cross18:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore19:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.1m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore20:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.4m overhead · 34km/h Cross21:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.4m overhead · 29km/h Cross22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.5m overhead · 19km/h Cross23:00 — Marginal (★★) · 2.6m overhead · 17km/h Onshorenow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ 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
🦶 Bring
Booties for the rocks
🌅Dawn window:Best quality, coolest — usually the quietest crowd
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
FriSatSunMonTue0.0m1.5m3.0m01734now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Thu 3 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.9 m 9 s S 8 km/h Onshore
Fri 4 Sep ★★★☆☆ 3.0 m 8 s S 18 km/h Onshore
Sat 5 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.0 m 8 s SSE 17 km/h Onshore
Sun 6 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.9 m 8 s SSE 22 km/h Onshore
Mon 7 Sep ★★★★☆ 3.0 m 12 s S 31 km/h Cross
Tue 8 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 2.3 m 6 s ENE 9 km/h Onshore
Wed 9 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 1.5 m 6 s ENE 12 km/h Onshore

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

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00H 07:04L 12:58H 19:22now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 06:21 · Sunset 17:52 · Peak UV 6

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 50, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 50 sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:13 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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