Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, checkin’ in from the coast. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, but there’s some real magic brewing in the second half of the outlook. The first few days are a write-off, but hold tight.

The immediate picture is grim. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd offer nothing but frustration. That 4ft south swell on Saturday morning is clean offshore, but the waves are just poor. The 2ft and 1ft stuff on Sunday is a complete non-starter. We’re looking at a gap of a couple of days with no real surf to speak of.

Then Monday the 24th dawns. Castlepoint - The Gap (New Zealand) finally wakes up with a solid 6ft SSW groundswell and a 1.5m period. The wind is a light offshore from the WNW, leaving it clean. The combined energy hits 1033 (moderate), and the conditions are expected to be very good. This is our first real look. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are a mixed bag. Tuesday holds 4ft to 4ft SSW swell with moderate offshore wind, still clean, but not as punchy. Wednesday gets messy, with a light onshore breeze ruining a 5ft SSW swell.

Now, Thursday the 27th is a standout. A 6ft S swell, period 14 seconds, rolls in with a moderate offshore from the NW. The energy is strong (1313) and the forecast is for very good surf. It’s a groundswell so look for it to line up nicely at this reefy spot.

The next major highlight is a big one, but it’s a week away. On Monday the 31st of August, the early morning session is a beauty. We’re looking at a 10ft SSW swell, period 9 seconds. The wind is glassy, dead calm with a light offshore from the NE. It’s big, over 8ft, so this is for experienced surfers only. The energy is very strong (2648). The afternoon goes a bit lumpy with a cross-onshore, but that morning window is as good as it gets.

Tuesday the 1st of September offers a nice drop back to 5ft S swell with a clean offshore wind. Good, solid surf.

Then we get a monster on Wednesday the 2nd of September. A 12ft S swell is predicted, but it’s blowing a strong offshore (45 km/h) which makes it nearly impossible to paddle into. The afternoon sees a 15ft SSW swell that’s simply too big for this break, even clean. This is strictly for the kamikaze crew or just a great day to watch. Thursday the 3rd hangs around 8ft SSW but with a strong cross-offshore wind, making it marginal.

The last week is a bit of a fade. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are mostly blown out or messy. The standout on the 5th is a 10ft S swell in the afternoon with a fresh offshore wind, but it’s still marginal.

The absolute best on offer is that glassy 10ft session on Monday the 31st morning for the experts, and the clean, solid 6ft south groundswell on Thursday the 27th. The 6ft SSW on Monday the 24th is a solid runner-up.

Rusty.

Read more