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Cintsa Surf Report

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SURF RATING
FAIR
★★★☆☆
Fair — worth a paddle: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.7 m
SWELL
1.2m @ 6s
WIND
9 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
17.1°C

★★★☆☆

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

Swell: 1.2 m @ 6 s (ENE)

Wave height: 1.7 m

Wind: 9 km/h NNE Cross-shore

Sea temp: 17.1 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 10:00–12:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
31% 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 ENE swell at 6s is wrapping into the bank
  • 8 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 (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 9km/h Cross01:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 8km/h Cross02:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 9km/h Cross03:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 9km/h Cross04:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 8km/h Cross05:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 8km/h Cross06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 7km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 7km/h Cross08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 8km/h Cross09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 6km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 5km/h Cross11:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 5km/h Onshore12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 16km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 17km/h Onshore16:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 18km/h Cross17:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 18km/h Cross18:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 16km/h Cross19:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 16km/h Cross20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 18km/h Cross21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 18km/h Cross22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 14km/h Cross23:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ 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
🌅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
WedThuFriSatSunMon0.0m1.3m2.5m01325now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Wed 9 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 1.7 m 6 s ENE 10 km/h Onshore
Thu 10 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.3 m 6 s E 12 km/h Cross
Fri 11 Sep ★★★★☆ 1.5 m 11 s SSW 13 km/h Cross
Sat 12 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.3 m 9 s S 21 km/h Onshore
Sun 13 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.2 m 7 s ESE 11 km/h Cross
Mon 14 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.4 m 7 s E 24 km/h Cross
Tue 15 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 2.1 m 7 s ENE 6 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 02:34L 08:44H 14:58L 21:08now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 06:13 · Sunset 17:56 · 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 Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:13 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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