Cobden Breakwater Surf Break

Lat Long: 42.44° S 171.20° E

Cobden Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 24 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Cobden Breakwater sea temperature is
12.4° C
0.2° 

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 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, W swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, W swell with 6,719 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Cobden Breakwater in the next 16 days are 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12PM. 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 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Fri 24th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 12s
Best Surf12PM (Sat 25th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 15s
Most Powerful12PM (Sat 25th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cobden Breakwater over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, let's take a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks. The first real sniff of decent surf doesn't hit until Friday the 24th, so you've got a couple of quiet days to get the gear ready.

First up, Friday morning the 24th at Cobden Breakwater. We're looking at a clean 1.4m swell rolling in from the west, with a light offshore breeze from the ENE. The water's sitting at 12°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The combined energy is moderate (455), but the conditions are clean and the swell is set to be a nice, rideable size. The forecast points to good surf. The swell direction out of the west is a solid match for what this spot likes, too. It's a breakwater setup, so expect the waves to line up nicely, and with the offshore wind, it'll be a proper session. Keep in mind crowds are rare here, so you might have it all to yourself.

Friday afternoon gets a bit ugly, with a fresh cross-onshore wind and rain. The swell builds to 1.9m but it's a bit lumpy and messy, so I'd be giving that a miss. A solid 658 combined energy but poor quality.

Now, Saturday morning the 25th brings a much bigger pulse – a 2.5m west swell, but the period is a massive 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The combined energy shoots up to 3778, which is strong. However, the wind is a light cross-onshore, and the guidance notes marginal conditions. It's a bit big for the spot, and that long period might make it break a bit too straight for a breakwater, which can be tricky.

But hold onto your board, because Saturday afternoon the 25th is a standout. The swell jumps to a powerful 4.0m from the west, with a 15-second period, giving it a very long period groundswell feel. The combined energy is massive at 6625. The wind drops to glassy calm. Now, the JSON warns this is too big for this break, but for the experienced surfer who knows the spot, that's a serious big-wave session waiting to happen. It's a proper, once-in-a-blue-moon kind of window. The setup might look more interesting for big-wave paddle or tow-in, but the quality is there if you've got the bottle. This is the true highlight of the whole run.

Sunday morning the 26th settles back to a clean, cross-off 2.1m west swell with a 14-second period (1744 combined energy). Excellent conditions for the more experienced crew. The rest of the week offers a mix: Monday morning the 27th has a clean 1.7m swell, Tuesday the 28th is glassy and small at 1.2m, and Wednesday the 29th has a nice, clean 1.5m swell with offshore wind. All solid, fun sessions.

Then we get another big pulse on Thursday the 30th – a 3.0m west swell, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, and the conditions are marginal. It's big and not quite clean. Friday the 31st is better, with a clean 1.6m morning, and into the weekend of August 1st, we've got excellent conditions for experienced surfers: a 1.8m WSW swell with a cross-off breeze and a combined energy of 1009. Another standout for the more skilled crew. Saturday afternoon the 1st is glassy with a 1.7m swell – a beauty.

August 2nd is small and glassy in the morning, and then it drops off. The following week has some decent pulses, like Monday August 3rd afternoon with a clean 1.9m WSW swell and a 19-second period, and Tuesday August 4th morning with a bigger 2.5m west swell, but the wind is a stiff cross-off. By Wednesday August 5th, we're back to clean, excellent conditions with a 1.6m WSW swell. The last few days of the run look average to good, with clean 1.1m to 1.3m swells. There's plenty to work with across the whole period.

The one absolute standout, though, is that Saturday afternoon the 25th – glassy, enormous, and for the brave. The other best-on-offer is Saturday morning August 1st for excellent, clean conditions at a solid size.

Later, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 3°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 5°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
4
3
!
5
4
3
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
1
3
2
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
W
9
1.9
W
8
2.1
W
16
2.5
W
16
4
W
15
3
W
14
2.1
W
14
1.8
W
13
1.9
W
13
1.7
W
12
1.5
W
12
1.3
W
11
1.2
W
11
1.2
W
11
1.3
W
10
1.5
W
13
1.4
W
13
1
WSW
13
3
W
14
2.4
W
14
2.1
W
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
306
500
2203
3679
6625
3423
1744
1141
1163
792
596
396
329
317
347
782
683
372
2901
2308
1491
Wind (km/h)
10
ENE
30
WNW
5
ENE
10
SW
5
SSE
10
ESE
10
ESE
10
SW
10
ESE
10
ESE
10
WSW
10
ESE
10
ESE
0
ESE
10
E
10
ENE
10
NNE
20
NNW
10
SW
10
SW
5
SE
Wind State
off
cross-on
off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
7:06PM2.69m
7:37AM2.74m
8:07PM2.77m
8:32AM2.83m
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
Low Tide
12:49PM1.46m
1:25AM1.45m
1:53PM1.45m
2:22AM1.40m
2:49PM1.37m
3:11AM1.31m
3:35PM1.26m
3:53AM1.21m
4:15PM1.15m
4:31AM1.10m
4:51PM1.04m
5:06AM0.99m
5:24PM0.94m
light rain
mod rain
rain showers
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:54
7:52
7:52
7:50
7:50
7:48
7:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:35
 mm
1
10
7
7
4
1
15
5
Temp °C
13
11
9
8
7
6
8
9
6
9
9
7
9
10
9
9
12
12
11
11
9
Feels °C
10
5
7
5
5
3
6
5
4
6
6
4
6
8
6
6
9
9
9
8
6
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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