Cobden Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 42.44° S 171.20° E

Cobden Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 03 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cobden Breakwater sea temperature is
12.0° C
0.3° 

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 3 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WSW swell with 1,941 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 16s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Tue 4th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 10s
Best Surf 6AM (Tue 4th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 10s
Most Powerful 3AM (Tue 4th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 10s

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 coming our way for Cobden Breakwater over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, Monday the 3rd is a write-off. We've got a solid 8ft swell on the way, but it's coming with a howling 19 mph onshore wind and rain. The wave energy is high (1594), but the conditions are pure slop. Not worth a second look.

The real action kicks off on Tuesday morning, the 4th. The wind swings around to an ESE cross-off at 9 mph, and the swell is still a beefy 8ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds. The wave energy is pumping (1577). This is proper, powerful surf, but at that size, it's for the experienced crew only. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is about average for this time of year. Tuesday afternoon drops a touch to 6ft, but still clean and very good.

Wednesday the 5th starts with a cleaner, smaller 3ft WSW swell (403) and light ESE winds. It's a nice, easy morning, but the period is a long 13 seconds, which at a breakwater can mean longer lulls between sets. The afternoon fades out with a tiny 3ft and a cross-on wind, so get it in the morning.

Thursday the 6th is tiny. The 2ft and 1ft swells are barely registering, so it's a day for the longboard if anything.

Now, Friday the 7th is a nice little pick-up. The morning is 5ft from the NW with a clean offshore breeze from the east. The afternoon gets even better, with a 7ft NW swell (979) and light offshore winds. That's a solid session.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th keep the trend going with clean, offshore winds and waist-to-chest high swell. It's consistent, fun surf.

The standout period, and the one to really circle on your calendar, is the window from Monday the 10th through to Wednesday the 12th. Monday morning, the 10th, sees a 4ft west swell with a 15-second period (763) and a light offshore – that's a beautiful, long-period groundswell with clean conditions. But the real beast is Wednesday the 12th. The morning bumps up to a massive 10ft west swell. The combined wave energy is an eye-watering 5578. The period is a very long 19 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-off. This is world-class, expert-only territory. This is not a place for the faint of heart. The afternoon stays at 10ft with a 17-second period (4708). This is the best on offer, no question.

The rest of the second week continues to deliver. Thursday the 13th gives us 5ft to 5ft west swell (1225) with clean cross-off winds. Friday the 14th is another big one, with 8ft to 7ft west swell and strong cross-off breezes.

The following Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th also look promising, with 7ft WNW swells and clean conditions, before fading into smaller, glassy waves on Tuesday afternoon.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best sessions are Wednesday the 12th and the surrounding days. The 10ft, 19-second west swell with light winds is a rare, powerful event. For the experienced surfers, that's the one. The whole run from the 7th to the 18th has a lot of quality, but that mid-week period is the standout.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon afternoon, min 3°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun morning, min 6°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
W
8
3.5
WSW
9
2.5
W
10
1.8
WSW
10
1.1
WSW
10
1
WSW
13
0.8
WSW
12
0.6
WSW
12
0.5
WSW
13
0.4
WSW
12
0.4
WSW
12
1.4
NW
9
2.2
NW
10
2.2
NW
9
1.6
NNW
9
1.3
NNW
8
0.7
WSW
15
1.1
NNW
9
0.7
WSW
13
0.8
WSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
857
1942
1326
667
240
356
198
106
99
49
47
360
962
800
377
217
222
197
184
350
Wind (km/h)
25
WSW
30
WSW
15
ESE
15
ESE
15
ESE
10
ESE
5
W
10
ESE
10
ESE
5
W
10
E
15
E
10
ENE
10
E
10
ENE
10
NE
5
E
10
E
5
NNW
10
E
Wind State
on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
1:51AM3.17m
2:15PM3.03m
2:34AM3.07m
3:01PM2.93m
3:26AM2.95m
3:58PM2.83m
4:32AM2.86m
5:08PM2.77m
5:48AM2.82m
6:28PM2.79m
7:05AM2.87m
7:43PM2.92m
Low Tide
7:42PM0.85m
8:08AM0.83m
8:24PM0.92m
8:52AM0.91m
9:13PM1.01m
9:45AM1.02m
10:14PM1.10m
10:49AM1.11m
11:28PM1.15m
12:06PM1.16m
00:48AM1.10m
1:25PM1.10m
2:02AM0.96m
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:41
7:41
7:39
7:39
7:37
7:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:44
5:45
 mm
2
1
1
2
1
3
2
1
Temp °C
12
10
9
9
5
7
8
6
8
9
8
7
8
9
10
11
10
12
12
9
Feels °C
6
3
2
3
0
4
5
3
5
6
4
2
5
6
8
9
8
11
10
7
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Cobden Breakwater:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cobden Breakwater surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest