
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, W swell with 5,166 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period with WSW 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s period. 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 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 9s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days.
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of surf lining up at Cobden Breakwater over the next couple of weeks. It kicks off Thursday the 9th with a bit of a mixed bag, but once we hit Friday, things clean up nicely and we’re in for some proper sessions.
The week starts with a bit of a wait – Thursday the 9th is marginal, with 6 to 6 ft WSW swell and a cross-off wind that’s not doing it any favours. Come Friday morning the 10th, we’re looking at 4 ft WSW swell with a long 16-second period and a cross-off breeze – clean and promising. Friday afternoon is where it gets lovely: the wind drops right off, going glassy, with 4 ft WSW swell and that same long 16-second period – super clean and inviting. The combined energy is moderate (637) so it’s a nice, cruisy size.
Saturday the 11th keeps the good times rolling. Morning has 4 ft WSW, 16-second period, and a clean cross-off; by afternoon it’s flat calm – glassy, zero wind, with 4 ft WSW swell. The energy sits at 768, so nothing big, but the conditions are absolutely mint for an intermediate surf.
Sunday the 12th sees a slight drop in swell to 4 ft, but the wind turns offshore from the east in the morning and ENE in the afternoon – light breezes, clean faces. The swell period stays long at 15 seconds, so the waves will have shape and power despite the smaller size.
Now, Monday the 13th brings a change. The swell bumps up to 5 ft in the morning but the period drops right off to a short 7 seconds – that’s windswell, not much grunt. The afternoon gets stronger: 8 ft NNW, 8-second period, with a moderate offshore breeze. That’s likely to be a bit crumbly and messy, but still surfable for the experienced.
Tuesday the 14th is a gamble. Morning has 6 ft WNW swell, 9 seconds, and glassy conditions – that’s the pick of the day, clean and inviting. But afternoon sees wind switching to a cross-shore, bringing chop into 5 ft W swell. Not ideal.
Here’s where we hit the standouts. Wednesday the 15th – this is the one to circle. Morning brings 10 ft W swell, 14-second period, with a cross-off breeze – the combined energy is very strong (3116). That’s big, powerful groundswell. Not for the faint-hearted – this is expert territory. By afternoon it goes glassy, with the same 10 ft W swell and energy spiking to 4000. If you’ve got the skill and the gear, this is gonna be epic. The break is exposed to the WSW and the swell is coming from the west, so it’s a solid match.
Thursday the 16th stays big – 10 ft W swell again in the morning, 15-second period, with a clean offshore breeze. Energy’s at 4583 – massive. The afternoon gets dicey with a cross-off wind, so morning is the go. Both the 15th and 16th are for experienced surfers only. Water’s sitting at around average for this time of year, so nothing wild temperature-wise – just normal winter chill.
Friday the 17th drops back to 6 ft W, 13 seconds, and clean cross-off conditions – much more manageable for intermediates.
The following week sees a few smaller days through Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th, with 3 to 4 ft WSW swell and light winds – clean but small. Then Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st bring another solid pulse: 8 to 8 ft W swell, 13 to 11-second period, with clean conditions, glassy offshore on Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning has a gentle offshore breeze. That’s another window for experienced surfers – big, powerful, and clean. Energy is strong (2186 and 2074).
After that, the swell fades right down to 2 ft by Wednesday the 22nd, then picks up again to 5 to 5 ft on Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th, with NW and WNW swell and glassy or cross-off winds. Those late-week days are more for the log or a fun mid-length.
Overall, the best of the lot are Wednesday the 15th and Monday the 20th – the 15th for the massive, glassy groundswell, and the 20th for another big, clean pulse. Both are expert-level, but if you’re up for it, you’ll be grinning.
Stay safe, keep an eye on the tides, and I’ll catch ya out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Thu afternoon, min 2°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wed 15 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | W 11 | WNW 11 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1665 | 1143 | 874 | 521 | 793 | 628 | 456 | 797 | 768 | 758 | 566 | 530 | 280 | 256 | 607 | 321 | 497 | 628 | 1046 | 3116 | 3100 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 5:03AM2.88m | 5:39PM2.81m | 6:09AM2.91m | 6:47PM2.87m | 7:17AM2.98m | 7:53PM2.99m | 8:22AM3.10m | 8:55PM3.16m | 9:25AM3.23m | 9:53PM3.33m | 10:23AM3.35m | 10:46PM3.47m | 11:16AM3.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:48PM1.10m | 11:22AM1.03m | 11:53PM1.09m | 12:27PM1.03m | 1:01AM1.02m | 1:35PM0.97m | 2:08AM0.90m | 2:41PM0.88m | 3:10AM0.75m | 3:41PM0.76m | 4:07AM0.60m | 4:35PM0.64m | 5:00AM0.50m | 5:26PM0.57m | |||||||
— | 8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
— | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 4 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 | NNW 7 | WSW 14 | N 9 | WNW 9 | W 11 | WNW 11 | W 14 | W 14 |
1665 | 1143 | 874 | 521 | 793 | 628 | 456 | 797 | 768 | 758 | 566 | 530 | 280 | 256 | 65 | 483 | 497 | 628 | 1046 | 3116 | 3100 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | WSW 21 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | — | W 22 | WSW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | WSW 14 | — | NW 9 | N 8 | NW 9 | WSW 16 | — | W 19 |
135 | 148 | 387 | 516 | — | 9 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 156 | — | 321 | 191 | 294 | 263 | — | 900 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | — | — | WNW 11 | W 12 | N 8 | N 8 | — | N 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 191 | 108 | 107 | 61 | — | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | 607 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast South Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











