
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, W swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, W swell with 7,848 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 2.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Breakwater in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 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 Cobden Breakwater has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
First up, the water temp is sitting at about 55°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We've got a bit of a slow start, but things kick off on Thursday the 10th. The morning is a write-off with messy cross-on wind and only 3ft of weak-ish swell – not worth paddling out for. But come Thursday afternoon, the whole picture changes. The wind swings to a light cross-off breeze, and the swell jumps to a solid 8ft from the WSW. That's got moderate energy behind it (2180) and it's clean. For an intermediate surfer, this is a proper session.
The standout of the whole forecast, without a doubt, is Friday the 11th. Friday morning is where the magic happens. We're talking a 10ft groundswell from the west with an *18-second period*, and it's dead glassy – no wind at all. The energy reading is massive at 5320. This is a long-period groundswell, so it'll have real power and shape, but it'll also have longer lulls between sets, making the paddle out a bit easier. That said, at 10ft, this is expert territory. The afternoon holds at 8ft with the same glassy conditions and still pumping energy (4014). If you're an experienced surfer, this is the day to be out there.
A second standout to keep an eye on is Saturday the 20th of September. After a long run of poor conditions, we get a fresh pulse of west swell. The Sunday morning of the 20th offers a 10ft swell from the west with 14-second period, and the wind is offshore from the ENE. That's clean, powerful surf. It's on the bigger side, so again, for the experienced crew. The afternoon keeps the offshore flow and drops to a more manageable 8ft.
Now, for the rest of it – there's a big gap of poor conditions from late Saturday the 12th right through the end of that week. Saturday morning the 12th is huge, with a 13ft west swell, but the onshore wind ruins it. Sunday the 13th through to Saturday the 19th is mostly blown out or too big with onshore wind. The energy numbers are still high during that week, but the wind direction just kills the quality for paddle surfing. If you're into kite surfing, those big, choppy days with strong wind might look interesting, but for a surfboard, it's a hard pass.
From the 21st through the end of the outlook, the swell drops right off. We're looking at 3ft to 3ft waves with weak energy (under 600). The winds are light or offshore, so it will be clean and pretty, but there's just not enough push for a proper wave.
Bottom line: Your window for good surf is narrow. Thursday afternoon the 10th is a good warm-up. Friday the 11th is the absolute pinnacle – glassy, powerful, expert-level west swell. For something further out, Sunday the 20th has offshore winds and solid size, so mark that on the calendar, but it's a long-range call so don't hold your breath. The rest is either too big and blown out, or too small to bother with.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Thu morning, min 4°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 13 | WSW 9 | WSW 19 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | W 16 | WSW 15 | W 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 14 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
361 | 919 | 2669 | 5320 | 4014 | 6584 | 6972 | 6686 | 1916 | 1347 | 1003 | 1102 | 1576 | 1229 | 834 | 822 | 670 | 1725 | 1307 | 4737 | 6662 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:56AM3.21m | 10:14PM3.38m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:05PM0.58m | 4:28AM0.46m | 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 | ||||||||
6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | |
mm | 7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 9 | W 11 | W 18 | W 17 | — | W 16 | — | WSW 16 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 15 | W 14 | WSW 14 | N 12 | W 14 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — |
361 | 919 | 1010 | 5320 | 4014 | — | 6972 | — | 1916 | 792 | 893 | 445 | 1576 | 1229 | 834 | 3 | 103 | 1725 | 1307 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | WSW 16 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — |
341 | 744 | 2669 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1347 | 1003 | 1102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 21 | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
233 | 517 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | — | — | — | — | W 16 | — | W 16 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 14 | W 8 | — | — | W 14 | W 14 |
229 | — | — | — | — | 6584 | — | 6686 | 1240 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 822 | 670 | — | — | 4737 | 6662 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 172 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 122 | 332 | 122 | 122 | 202 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 201 | 202 | 169 | 190 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast South Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










