Cobden Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 42.44° S 171.20° E

Cobden Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 31 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cobden Breakwater sea temperature is
12.4° C
0.0° 

Cobden Breakwater surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s period, W swell with 1,411 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cobden Breakwater this week:

The surf forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 22s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Breakwater in the next 16 days are 1.8m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Sat 1st Aug)6ft (1.9m) 11s
Best Surf 6AM (Mon 3rd Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s
Most Powerful 9AM (Tue 4th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, cobber, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

The overall story is that we start with a bit of a dud before it cleans up nicely. The first note on the board is for Friday the 31st of July, but that's a no-go. A big 16ft W swell is hitting Cobden Breakwater, but with a 22 mph onshore wind and a massive combined energy of 8005, it's just a washing machine. No good for a paddle. Give that one a miss.

The real action kicks off on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning brings a clean 6ft W swell with a 9 mph cross-offshore breeze from the ESE. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The swell energy is a solid 852, showing it's got some push. The Saturday arvo is even better, with the wind dropping to a glassy 3 mph from the SW, and the swell dropping to 5ft from the W with a period of 10 seconds. That's proper clean, lined-up surf. This is the standout session of the whole outlook.

Sunday the 2nd still has some fun waves, but it's smaller. The morning has a 3ft WSW swell, clean with a cross-off breeze, and the afternoon goes glassy again with a tiny 1ft swell but a super-long 21-second period. That's a groundswell, and it'll be a bit fat and straight at this break, but it's still a beautiful thing to sit on.

Monday the 3rd gets messy. Onshore wind and a rising swell, with a 4ft WSW swell in the morning that builds to a lumpy 10ft in the arvo. Not worth it.

Tuesday the 4th of August is another cracker. The morning offers a 6ft W swell at 15 seconds, clean under a cross-offshore breeze, with a combined energy of 1411. That's excellent and will be perfect for experienced surfers. The wind is light, the waves have power, and it's a proper standout.

The rest of the first week sees a mix of smaller, cleaner swells and some cross-shore wind. Thursday the 6th has a 5ft NW swell in the morning, clean, and the afternoon goes glassy. Good, but not as good as the weekend.

The second week gets a bit more inconsistent. From the 8th of August onwards, the swell drops off significantly. There are some glassy mornings on the 9th with small 3ft WSW swells, but nothing with much punch. The standout in the second week is Monday the 10th of August afternoon. A 3ft WSW swell, but with a long 15-second period and a clean offshore breeze, the combined energy is 625. It’ll be clean and fun, but don't expect big barrels.

Later in the week, things get a bit weird. Thursday the 13th of August morning has a massive 12ft W swell, with a combined energy of 2774. The wind is cross-shore, but the forecast says it's too big for the break. That's one for the experts only, if anyone dares. Friday the 14th of August morning is a much better prospect, with a clean 6ft W swell at 14 seconds and a combined energy of 1227. That's a solid, clean option for experienced surfers.

So, the best on offer is Saturday the 1st of August afternoon with glassy conditions and a clean 5ft swell, and Tuesday the 4th of August morning with a powerful, clean 6ft swell. The rest is a mix of small clean days and some big, messy ones. The crowds at Cobden Breakwater are rare, so you'll have plenty of room.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Mon morning, min 3°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Mon afternoon, min 6°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
!
3
2
2
2
2
3
3
1
2
4
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
5
W
13
3.5
W
13
1.9
W
11
1.4
W
10
1.2
W
9
0.9
WSW
8
0.4
WSW
21
0.9
WSW
19
1.2
WSW
18
3
WSW
9
2.1
W
9
1.8
W
15
1.5
W
14
0.8
WSW
13
1
W
13
0.6
WSW
12
0.7
W
8
1.6
NW
9
1.6
NW
8
0.4
WNW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
8005
3997
843
379
251
107
146
614
929
1408
715
1411
938
232
329
115
66
362
330
43
Wind (km/h)
35
W
15
E
15
ESE
5
SW
5
ESE
10
E
5
NW
0
WSW
5
WSW
15
SW
10
SSW
10
E
5
NNW
10
ENE
10
E
5
NNW
10
ESE
10
E
5
WSW
10
E
Wind State
on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
off
off
cross
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
00:03AM3.30m
12:24PM3.21m
00:37AM3.29m
12:59PM3.18m
1:12AM3.25m
1:35PM3.12m
1:51AM3.17m
2:15PM3.03m
2:34AM3.07m
3:01PM2.93m
3:26AM2.95m
3:58PM2.83m
Low Tide
5:57PM0.87m
6:15AM0.83m
6:30PM0.83m
6:50AM0.79m
7:05PM0.82m
7:27AM0.79m
7:42PM0.85m
8:08AM0.83m
8:24PM0.92m
8:52AM0.91m
9:13PM1.01m
9:45AM1.02m
10:14PM1.10m
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:46
7:45
7:43
7:41
7:41
7:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:42
 mm
7
1
3
2
Temp °C
9
7
7
9
6
8
9
9
11
11
11
10
11
9
10
11
9
9
11
9
Feels °C
1
4
2
6
3
5
7
8
8
7
8
8
8
6
7
8
6
7
9
7
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Cobden Breakwater Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Cobden Breakwater provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cobden Breakwater can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cobden Breakwater 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 Breakwater) 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 Breakwater 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 Breakwater is 172 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.

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