
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 19s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 15,749 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Breakwater in the next 16 days are 6.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 21ft (6.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Cobden Breakwater over the next couple of weeks.
We’re starting off with a solid pulse of swell, but this spot is a breakwater, and that wave face is going to be a handful for most. This is a setup for the experienced crew only.
The first real window of opportunity, and it's a standout, is Sunday morning, September 6th. The swell is pumping out of the west at 12 ft, with a super long 16-second period – that’s a deep, powerful groundswell pushing a massive amount of energy (5764). The water is sitting at 55 °F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The wind is light from the NNW, which is a cross-shore, so the surface will be manageable despite the size. But let’s be real, 12 ft is proper big and will be dumping hard on that breakwater. This is for experts only. If you’re not on your A-game, stay on the beach. Between the size and the long period, it’s going to be a serious, heavy wave.
The swell drops quickly after that. Monday morning, September 7th, brings a cleaner 5 ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, but the wind is a stiff 16 mph from the ESE. It’s cross-offshore, so the face will be clean, but that wind is a chore. The energy is moderate (1105). By Monday afternoon, the wind eases to 9 mph, and the swell drops to 4 ft. It’s clean, but the power is fading.
Tuesday morning, September 8th, is small. We’re looking at 3 ft from the WSW, a short 10-second period, and very light ESE winds. The energy is weak (361). Tuesday afternoon gets a little bump to 4 ft, but the wind swings onshore from the WSW, turning it to mush.
The rest of the first week is a mixed bag of onshore winds and building swell, but it’s all too big or too windy. By Thursday the 10th, the swell is pushing 6 ft with a short 8-second period, but the wind is blowing 12 mph from the WSW and onshore, making it a choppy mess. Friday the 11th sees another massive spike – 13 ft swell from the west with an 18-second period, an absolutely enormous amount of energy (8868), but it’s just too big for this spot.
We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions after that. Most of the second week is a write-off with huge, onshore, wind-whipped waves. Saturday the 12th is a nightmare with 21 ft swell and 31 mph winds. It’s not surfable.
The only other moment that might be worth a look is Monday morning, September 14th. The swell has dropped to a more manageable 6 ft from the west, but the period is short (9 seconds) and the wind is a messy 16 mph cross-onshore from the WNW. The energy is moderate (1010). It’s a junky, choppy wave, not a standout.
Bottom line: The best bet is that Sunday morning, September 6th, for the big-wave chargers. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. Keep your eyes on the sky, because the forecast can always change, but right now, the window is very narrow.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sun morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed morning, min 4°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the WSW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 10 | W 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 16 | W 14 | W 19 | W 18 | W 17 | WSW 12 | W 14 | WSW 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
6117 | 2979 | 1708 | 966 | 711 | 222 | 188 | 347 | 209 | 135 | 466 | 320 | 1025 | 1977 | 7880 | 9390 | 8034 | 9174 | 14184 | 14902 | 6974 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | on | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 6:22PM2.77m | 7:02AM2.80m | 7:37PM2.91m | 8:11AM2.94m | 8:39PM3.09m | 9:07AM3.09m | 9:29PM3.26m | 9:56AM3.21m | 10:14PM3.38m | 10:38AM3.29m | 10:56PM3.42m | 11:18AM3.31m | 11:35PM3.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:00PM1.23m | 00:46AM1.10m | 1:21PM1.12m | 1:57AM0.94m | 2:26PM0.94m | 2:54AM0.74m | 3:19PM0.74m | 3:44AM0.57m | 4:05PM0.58m | 4:28AM0.46m | 4:46PM0.49m | 5:08AM0.43m | 5:25PM0.47m | ||||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | |
mm | 13 | 15 | 8 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 4 | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 16 | W 14 | W 19 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | W 14 |
6117 | 2979 | 1708 | 966 | 711 | 205 | 188 | 347 | 209 | 135 | 466 | 320 | 1025 | 1977 | 7880 | 9390 | — | — | — | — | 6974 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WSW 13 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | W 6 | WSW 19 | W 18 | WSW 21 | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 614 | 249 | 135 | 222 | 103 | 92 | 48 | 27 | 120 | 156 | 153 | 512 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | WSW 12 | W 11 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 270 | 167 | 104 | 74 | 119 | 9 | 29 | 34 | 17 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | — | ESE 3 | — | ENE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | W 17 | WSW 12 | W 14 | WSW 14 | — |
— | 955 | — | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 302 | — | — | — | 8034 | 9174 | 14184 | 14902 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 180 | 197 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 136 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 153 | 153 | 153 | 807 |
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 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.










