Surf Forecasts:
Cobden Breakwater surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 5,953 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s 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 (Aug 24) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Breakwater in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 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 on the cards for the Cobden Breakwater over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a wild ride ahead. The first few days are going to be a write-off, so if you’re itching to get wet, you’ll need some patience. The swell is just too big and messy to start with, but things settle down into a pretty solid run of waves later on.
The first real chance to paddle out won’t be until Monday the 28th of August. The morning will see a solid 10ft swell from the north-west, with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 1650 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph, keeping things clean. This is excellent surf, but at that size, it’s only for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays the same vibe, just a touch shorter period. This is a standout window for the experienced crew.
Tuesday the 29th of August is a no-go. The wind swings onshore and gets nasty, making a mess of an 8ft swell. Forget it.
We get a bit of a lull on Sunday the 30th of August. The morning is marginal with a 3ft, 16-second groundswell from the west, but a light cross-onshore wind puts a ripple on it. The afternoon is where it gets interesting for the lighter crowd – the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the south-east, and that same long-period swell cleans right up. The combined energy is 930 (weak wave energy), so it’s not packing a punch, but it’ll be a fun, clean wave for a longboard or a fish.
Now, the best of the best is shaping up for the first week of September. Monday the 31st of August is a cracker for the early birds – a 8ft west-south-west swell with a light offshore breeze, clean and lined up. But the absolute standout is Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning is glassy – zero wind, a 7ft swell from the west, and conditions described as “excellent.” That’s the one to circle. The combined energy is 1081 (moderate wave energy), so it’s got some push.
Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is another clean one with a 5ft, 15-second groundswell from the west-south-west. Thursday the 3rd of September morning is also a serious contender for the experienced surfer – a 10ft, 15-second groundswell from the west, clean as a whistle, with a combined energy of 3570 (strong wave energy). That’s a power day.
The second week looks promising but a bit more uncertain. The standout in that week is Monday the 7th of September morning. An 8ft, 16-second groundswell from the west, light offshore wind from the east-north-east, and a combined energy of 3197 (strong wave energy). It’s flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a long-range call, but it’s got all the ingredients.
Overall, the first few days are a bust, but from the 28th of August onward, we’ve got a good run of clean, punchy waves. The real gems are the 1st and 7th of September mornings. The water temperature anomaly isn’t given, so I’ll just say it’s about what you’d expect for this time of year.
Stay stoked, and don’t be a kook.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 54mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon night, light winds from the ENE by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 99mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Thu night, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | W 15 | W 15 | W 8 | W 9 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 10 | NNW 8 | NW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | W 20 | W 18 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5953 | 4556 | 3089 | 1046 | 1070 | 2842 | 2031 | 1667 | 1173 | 701 | 663 | 2948 | 2177 | 1065 | 368 | 349 | 373 | 404 | 427 | 562 | 1550 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:33PM2.78m | 8:55AM2.83m | 9:17PM2.94m | 9:38AM2.97m | 9:55PM3.09m | 10:15AM3.09m | 10:29PM3.22m | 10:50AM3.20m | 11:02PM3.31m | 11:23AM3.26m | 11:35PM3.37m | 11:57AM3.29m | 00:09AM3.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:23PM1.34m | 2:47AM1.26m | 3:10PM1.19m | 3:29AM1.11m | 3:49PM1.04m | 4:06AM0.95m | 4:24PM0.89m | 4:40AM0.81m | 4:56PM0.78m | 5:14AM0.69m | 5:29PM0.69m | 5:47AM0.62m | 6:02PM0.65m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 15 | — | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | — | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WSW 14 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | N 9 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 16 | W 9 | W 10 |
| kJ | 5953 | 4556 | — | 613 | 492 | — | — | 1667 | 1173 | 701 | 459 | 163 | 2177 | 1065 | 355 | 349 | 213 | 103 | 422 | 562 | 1550 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | WSW 12 | W 16 | — | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WNW 9 | W 21 | W 20 | W 18 | N 7 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | 119 | 131 | — | 187 | 137 | 368 | 227 | 373 | 404 | 8 | 421 | 350 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 17 | — | — | W 24 | W 23 | W 13 | WSW 12 | NNW 8 | N 8 | — | N 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | — | 11 | 10 | 121 | 49 | 50 | 41 | — | 4 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 15 | W 8 | W 9 | W 14 | W 13 | — | — | — | NNW 8 | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 3089 | 1046 | 1070 | 2842 | 2031 | — | — | — | 663 | 2948 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 427 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 153 | 153 | 156 | 85 | 190 | 190 | 153 | 122 | 122 | 0 | 128 | 210 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 201 | 136 | 85 | 0 |
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.
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