
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Beach - The Channel surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, W swell with 7,396 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cobden Beach - The Channel this week:
The surf forecast for Cobden Beach - The Channel over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Beach - The Channel in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Beach - The Channel over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's comin' down the pipe for Cobden Beach - The Channel. It's a bit of a wild ride ahead, so strap in.
First up, this spot is a beginner-friendly consistent break, exposed to the swell. The water's sitting at about 54°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.
Now, don't get too excited for the immediate future. That first Friday and Saturday (September 11th and 12th) are gonna be a washout for paddling. We've got a massive, powerful west swell pumping in – we're talking combined energy readings into the thousands (5320 to 7396) and waves up to 13ft. That's way too big for this break, and the wind's all wrong, creating a nasty cross-chop. Honestly, with that kind of power and onshore mush, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Sunday morning the 13th is where the vibe shifts. The swell drops to a much friendlier 5ft from the west, and we get a clean, cross-offshore wind. It's still got plenty of energy (2411) and a solid 16-second period – real groundswell. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit chopped up, so make the most of the morning.
Monday morning the 14th is a standout for the early part of the week. Glassy conditions with a 5ft [15s] WSW groundswell. The energy is moderate (1210), but the clean, glassy surface will make those lines look perfect. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-on breeze, so it's a morning mission for sure.
Tuesday the 15th is a real gem. We've got a drop in size to 4ft, but the wind goes glassy again all day. The swell direction is perfect from the WSW, and the combined energy is lower (398). It’s not going to be huge, but for a beginner-friendly spot like this, clean 4ft waves with zero wind is about as good as it gets.
We hit a bit of a lull from Wednesday the 16th through to early the next week. There's a mix of small, weak swell, poor winds, and periods of unrideable conditions. Thursday the 17th offers a bit of hope in the morning with a clean 6ft [14s] swell, but it's a marginal call. Friday the 18th has another big pulse of west swell (8ft to 10ft) but the wind is messy, and it's back to being too big for the break.
Now, looking ahead to the second week, we've got a few promising days. Monday the 21st has a clean, cross-off breeze but the swell is over 7ft and the energy is high (1718), putting it on the edge of being too much.
The real standout for the second week is Tuesday morning the 22nd. The swell has backed off to a manageable 6ft from the west, and the forecast shows a crisp cross-off wind from the ENE. The energy drops to a moderate 1097. It’s promising, but we're a long way out, so keep an eye on it. The rest of that week looks small and average, with a last little window on Thursday the 24th that’s again a bit too big for the break.
So to wrap it up: the best windows are the glassy mornings on Tuesday the 15th for a nice, easy paddle, and keep an eye on Tuesday morning the 22nd for a possible clean, solid session.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | W 17 | WSW 10 | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 14 | W 14 | W 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5320 | 4014 | 2392 | 7396 | 6330 | 1750 | 1347 | 1145 | 966 | 886 | 1382 | 980 | 605 | 395 | 148 | 359 | 1377 | 1086 | 1463 | 3135 | 4576 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:38AM3.29m | 10:56PM3.42m | 11:18AM3.31m | 11:35PM3.38m | 11:55AM3.27m | 00:12AM3.28m | 12:30PM3.18m | 00:49AM3.14m | 1:06PM3.06m | 1:27AM2.98m | 1:42PM2.91m | 2:08AM2.81m | 2:24PM2.76m | 2:58AM2.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:46PM0.49m | 5:08AM0.43m | 5:25PM0.47m | 5:47AM0.47m | 6:03PM0.53m | 6:24AM0.57m | 6:39PM0.64m | 7:00AM0.71m | 7:16PM0.80m | 7:37AM0.89m | 7:55PM0.97m | 8:18AM1.07m | 8:40PM1.16m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 3 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 9 | — | WNW 10 | W 14 | — | — |
5320 | 4014 | 1651 | 7396 | 6330 | 1750 | 1064 | 1004 | 699 | 324 | 1382 | 980 | 605 | 395 | 98 | 359 | — | 1086 | 1463 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | — | — | — | N 12 | — | W 18 | — | W 18 | NW 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1347 | 1145 | 966 | 886 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 6 | — | 102 | 268 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 10 | — | — | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | WNW 11 | — | — | W 14 | W 15 |
— | — | 2392 | — | — | 1361 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 148 | — | 1377 | — | — | 3135 | 4576 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 48 | 153 | 122 | 332 | 122 | 0 | 168 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 202 | 136 | 48 | 85 | 255 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast South Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Cobden Beach - The Channel Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cobden Beach - The Channel provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cobden Beach - The Channel can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cobden Beach - The Channel 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 (Cobden Beach - The Channel) 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 Cobden Beach - The Channel 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.
Cobden Beach is 173 km (107 miles) from the city of Christchurch. If you plan a holiday in West Coast South Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Christchurch. Christchurch has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










