
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WNW swell with 10,786 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 13s 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 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, it’s Rusty here.
Let’s be straight with you. The Cobden Breakwater is the only wave in town for this outlook, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. For the next week and a half, we’ve got a solid run of swell, but the timing and size mean you’ve got to pick your windows. The water’s sitting at 54°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.
The first real action kicks off on Sunday the 26th of July. The afternoon sees a 6ft W swell rolling in, but the wind is cross-on from the SSW at 6 mph, so it’s a bit messy. The combined energy is strong (1124), but the conditions are only marginal. Not the day to burn a sickie.
Monday the 27th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning has a 6ft W swell with a clean cross-off breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. The energy is still chunky (900), and it’s looking good. But the real standout is Monday afternoon: glassy conditions with a 5ft W swell, light wind from the south, and the energy dropping to 687. That’s clean, lined-up surf, and it’s the best of the early week.
Tuesday the 28th offers smaller 4ft W swell, but the morning is clean with a cross-off breeze, and the afternoon goes glassy again. Nice, easy-going waves for the intermediate crew.
Now, Wednesday the 29th is a real treat. The morning is small at 3ft, but that swell is from the WSW with a long 14-second period, and the wind is offshore from the east. The energy is moderate (521). The afternoon gets even better: 5ft WSW swell, glassy, and the energy jumps to 733. This is clean, long-period groundswell, perfect for the breakwater’s shape.
Thursday the 30th stays solid. The morning is clean with 4ft WSW swell, and the afternoon pumps up to 6ft from the west with a 13-second period. The energy is strong (1027) and the wind is a clean cross-off from the NE. This is excellent for experienced surfers.
Now, hold onto your board. Friday the 31st of July is for experts only. The morning sees a massive 13ft NW swell with 3837 energy, and the afternoon goes even bigger: 15ft from the WNW with a 15-second period and a whopping 8360 energy. The wind is cross-off, but this is way too big for the breakwater. Unless you’re a pro, stay on the beach.
After that, the first week of August backs off. Saturday the 1st is still a solid 6ft to 6ft, but the wind is up and the tide conditions are questionable. By Sunday the 2nd, it’s smaller and cleaner again, with 4ft WSW swell and a light breeze. The real gem in the second week is Monday the 3rd of August. The afternoon goes glassy with a 3ft WSW swell that has a very long 19-second period. The energy is moderate (657), and those long-period lines will be peeling beautifully. Tuesday the 4th keeps the quality up with 4ft WSW swell and a 16-second period.
The rest of the second week drops off in size, with lots of 2ft to 3ft days. The period stays long, so the shape will be there, but the energy is low. The best of the late run is Saturday the 8th of August: a 3ft WSW swell with an 18-second period, offshore wind, and a clean morning. The afternoon goes glassy on a 3ft, 17-second swell. Small, but perfect for a longboard.
Overall, the standout windows are Monday afternoon the 27th of July, Wednesday the 29th of July, and Thursday afternoon the 30th of July. For the second week, Monday the 3rd of August afternoon is the pick. Crowds are rare here, so you’ll likely have it quiet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 4°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 55mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 6°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the N by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | W 13 | NW 10 | NW 11 | WNW 15 | W 13 | WSW 13 | W 12 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1124 | 1060 | 900 | 687 | 394 | 323 | 319 | 290 | 331 | 733 | 539 | 515 | 1018 | 1375 | 3586 | 8360 | 4197 | 1121 | 911 | 480 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:58PM2.89m | 9:20AM2.94m | 9:42PM3.01m | 10:02AM3.04m | 10:21PM3.12m | 10:41AM3.13m | 10:56PM3.21m | 11:16AM3.19m | 11:30PM3.27m | 11:50AM3.21m | 00:03AM3.30m | 12:24PM3.21m | 00:37AM3.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:11AM1.31m | 3:35PM1.26m | 3:53AM1.21m | 4:15PM1.15m | 4:31AM1.10m | 4:51PM1.04m | 5:06AM0.99m | 5:24PM0.94m | 5:41AM0.90m | 5:57PM0.87m | 6:15AM0.83m | 6:30PM0.83m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | |
5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 16 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
Feels °C | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | W 13 | NW 10 | NW 11 | WNW 15 | W 13 | WSW 13 | W 12 | WSW 12 |
1124 | 1060 | 900 | 687 | 394 | 323 | 319 | 290 | 331 | 733 | 539 | 515 | 1018 | 1375 | 3586 | 8360 | 4197 | 1121 | 911 | 480 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 9 | — | W 10 | — | W 18 | W 16 | W 22 | WSW 14 | W 16 | — | — | NW 9 | W 22 | W 20 |
— | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | — | 190 | — | 25 | 139 | 9 | 261 | 251 | — | — | 211 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 339 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 168 | 156 | 0 | 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.










