
Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, W swell with 3,079 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) 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 1.5m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
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 on the table for Cobden Breakwater, starting from Wednesday morning and rolling through the next couple of weeks. The swell is a mix of consistent groundswell and some bigger pulses, with a few standout sessions that’ll get the stoke up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing too wild there.
The first real action kicks off Wednesday morning, 8th July, with a clean 3ft swell from the WSW at 12 seconds, combined energy of 321 (moderate). The ESE cross-off at 10 km/h keeps it tidy, but it’s the morning where it’s best—afternoon gets a bit lumpy with the breeze picking up.
Thursday, 9th July, is where things get interesting. The morning session sees a 5.2ft WSW swell at 14 seconds, with combined energy at 1250 (strong). That’s a solid groundswell with a long period, and the SE cross-off at 15 km/h keeps it clean. This one’s for the experienced crew—over 5ft, so it’s a bit much for beginners. The wave quality is excellent, and the sets will have some punch.
Friday, 10th July, has a standout in the afternoon. The swell drops to 3.6ft from the WSW at 16 seconds (very long period), but the wind goes glassy with a 5 km/h ESE breeze. Combined energy is 637 (moderate), and the glassy conditions make for that perfect, clean surface. The long period means the waves will be well-shaped, but at a beach break setup, it might stand up a bit too straight—still, for a point break, this would be gold.
Heading into the weekend, Saturday, 11th July, has a 3.9ft WSW swell at 16 seconds, with glassy conditions in the afternoon again (NE 5 km/h). Combined energy is 768 (moderate). Clean and classy, with long period swell making paddling out easier. Sunday morning, 12th July, sees a 3.6ft swell at 15 seconds with a light offshore from the E at 10 km/h—clean as a whistle.
The second week brings a bit of a dip. Monday, 13th July, is small—2ft at 14 seconds with gentle offshore winds, but it’s pretty weak. Combined energy drops to 279 (weak). Then Tuesday, 14th July, has a pulse of 7.5ft from the NW at 8 seconds, but that’s short period and the wind is all over the place—definitely one for the experts only, if anyone.
The real standout of the whole run is Saturday, 18th July. The morning has a 3.9ft W swell at 19 seconds (very long period) with a light offshore from the E at 10 km/h. Combined energy is 1766 (strong). That’s a beautiful, long-period groundswell, clean and powerful. Then the afternoon turns glassy with a 6.2ft WSW swell at 18 seconds, combined energy of 2395 (strong). This is a big, clean, glassy swell—over 5ft, so it’s for the experienced, but the conditions are as good as it gets. The wave quality is excellent, and the long period means it’ll have that deep, grinding shape.
Sunday, 19th July, keeps the run going with a 5.6ft WSW swell at 16 seconds in the morning, combined energy 1512 (strong). Light ESE cross-off keeps it clean. The afternoon goes onshore, so stick to the morning.
The best on offer? That’s the Saturday 18th July afternoon session. A 6.2ft WSW swell at 18 seconds, glassy wind, and combined energy of 2395—it’s a standout. The Thursday 9th July morning is a close second, with that 5.2ft groundswell and clean conditions. Crowds are rare here, so you’ll have plenty of room to enjoy it.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 3°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tue 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
249 | 250 | 469 | 1430 | 1106 | 874 | 549 | 793 | 628 | 456 | 797 | 768 | 758 | 566 | 462 | 280 | 158 | 154 | 227 | 682 | 252 | |
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 | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:01AM2.91m | 4:35PM2.81m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:49PM1.07m | 10:21AM1.01m | 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 | |||||||
— | 8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
— | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 29 | 5 | 8 |
Temp °C | 8 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 5 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 |
249 | 250 | 469 | 1430 | 1106 | 874 | 549 | 793 | 628 | 456 | 797 | 768 | 758 | 566 | 462 | 280 | 121 | 138 | 227 | 682 | 264 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 21 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | — | W 22 | WSW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 13 | W 12 | WNW 9 |
20 | 71 | 174 | 89 | 144 | 387 | 516 | — | 9 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 158 | 154 | 123 | 112 | 252 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 21 | NNE 7 | N 7 | W 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | N 11 | W 21 | WSW 19 | WSW 12 |
9 | 5 | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 9 | 69 | 121 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 3 | — | SE 2 | SE 3 | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | NE 4 | N 4 | N 5 | — | — | NNE 6 | — | — |
— | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 9 | 27 | — | — | 59 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 0 | 0 | 207 |
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.











