Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. This is a tricky one for the Wairarapa coast. The data is telling me that Castlepoint - The Gap is the only game in town for the next 16 days, and honestly, it's going to be a battle to find a window.

For the first week and a half, it's a write-off. We're looking at a solid 10 days of pretty average to poor conditions starting Wednesday, July 8th. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the swell is just messy. We've got a massive pulse of energy Wednesday, July 9th, with a combined energy of 5202, but that's a 16ft swell from the SSE with a near gale wind. That's insane, dangerous, and blown out – not for us. The whole first week is a no-go. The wind just won't play ball.

Then, we get a tiny glimmer. Sunday, July 12th, the morning looks clean. The wind is light and offshore from the NW, with a 3ft SSW groundswell pushing in at a long 14 seconds. The combined energy is only 568, so it's weak, but that clean, glassy look is a rare treat. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so don't expect a warm one. The Gap is a sheltered spot, so a south-southwest swell at 3ft with offshore wind will be a nice, clean little wave for a beginner. It won't be big, but it will be ridable.

Saturday morning, July 18th, also shows some promise. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the WSW, with a 3ft, 12-second swell from the ESE. The energy is weak at 392, but it's clean. It's a small, ordinary day, but it's surfable.

Now, the real standout is a long way off. Look at Tuesday, July 21st. We've got a massive 15ft SSW swell building with a 14-second period and a combined energy of 10477. That's huge. The wind is light from the SSW, but the note says it's predicted to be too big for this break. The Gap is a sheltered spot, and that much energy from the south is going to be a washing machine. The following morning, Wednesday, July 22nd, is the one to circle. The same 7ft S swell is still running, but the wind has switched to a light offshore from the NNW. The combined energy is 1433 – moderate but powerful. With clean conditions, that could be a fantastic session for an experienced surfer. The 7ft is a solid size, and at a sheltered spot like The Gap, it will be a proper wave. This is the one to wait for, but it's two weeks out, so keep your fingers crossed.

To sum it up: the first week is a write-off. A couple of clean but small windows pop up around July 12th and 18th. The real, high-quality potential is on the morning of Wednesday, July 22nd, with a solid 7ft south swell and clean offshore winds, but it's a long-range forecast, so don't plan your life around it just yet.

Rusty.

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