
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, S swell with 6,437 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Castlepoint - The Gap this week:
The surf forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Castlepoint - The Gap in the next 16 days are 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’re looking at a classic Castlepoint run at The Gap. The week starts off with some clean, friendly surf, but don’t get too comfortable – a big, raw southerly swell is about to blow through mid-week, and that’s going to be for the experienced crew only. After that, it settles into a more mellow groove, but patience will be key.
Monday, August 3rd is a beauty to kick things off. The Gap is seeing a clean 4ft to 4ft wave from the SSE/SW, with a nice 11 to 12-second period. The WNW wind is blowing straight offshore, keeping the lines neat. The water’s sitting at 54°, which is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a wetsuit any thicker than usual. The wave energy is moderate (608-717), making it a perfect session for beginners and cruisers alike. This is the best you’ll get for a few days.
Tuesday sees the swell jump dramatically. By morning, we’re looking at 12ft from the south, and by the afternoon, it’s hitting 15ft. The combined energy rockets into the thousands (4451-5773), which is massive. The wind is pumping hard out of the SW, so it’s cross-off, but this is simply too big for The Gap. It’s going to be a wall of white water. This is expert-only, if even that. It’s a real shame.
Wednesday is still cooked. The swell hangs around 13ft, but the wind swings more cross-shore, making it lumpy and messy. The energy is still huge (4295-7089). Not a day for a paddle.
Thursday, August 6th is where things start to settle. The morning looks excellent for experienced surfers, with a 7ft SSW swell, clean winds from the west, and moderate energy (2175). The afternoon drops to 6ft but the wind goes light and variable, so it’s still rideable. The standout session here is the Thursday morning. The swell’s still big enough to be fun, but the wind is clean.
Friday, August 7th is your next best window. The morning has 6ft of long-period south swell (16 seconds), with a clean offshore breeze. The afternoon is even better for the bigger wave hunter: 8ft, 15 seconds, and still that perfect WNW offshore wind. The energy is solid (1983-2428). These are serious, powerful waves, so you’ll want a board that can handle it. This is a real highlight for the confident crew.
Saturday, August 8th drops back to a more manageable 4ft to 5ft, with clean offshore winds. The energy is much lower (443-638). A good, relaxed day.
Sunday, August 9th is a fade. The swell drops to 4ft and the wind turns cross-shore, making it ordinary. By the afternoon, it’s really poor.
From Monday, August 10th through to Thursday, August 13th, it’s a write-off. Onshore winds and messy, short-period windswell. The wave energy is tiny. Don’t bother.
Friday, August 14th has a bit of a rebound. The afternoon session shows a 7ft swell from the ENE, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The wind is cross-off and light, so it’ll be clean, but the waves will be weak and crumbly.
Saturday, August 15th is small and clean, but very ordinary. The real action picks up again for the second week.
Monday, August 17th sees a big south swell return, hitting 12ft with a 10-second period. The energy is massive (2572). The wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean, but again, this is for experts only.
Tuesday, August 18th is the best of the second week. The swell drops to a much more manageable 8ft in the morning, then 6ft in the afternoon. The wind stays offshore, and the energy is solid (1921-760). This is a promising, long-range standout, but keep an eye on it – it’s a week and a half away. The Tuesday morning session is the pick.
Overall, the best waves on offer are Monday, August 3rd for the beginners and cruisers, and Friday, August 7th for the experienced crew looking for some power.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 14 | S 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
302 | 469 | 1460 | 4445 | 5767 | 5945 | 4295 | 4054 | 1849 | 997 | 612 | 412 | 1529 | 2289 | 1215 | 628 | 418 | 275 | 239 | 218 | 198 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:54PM1.20m | 9:16AM1.21m | 9:44PM1.23m | 10:02AM1.27m | 10:32PM1.26m | 10:50AM1.34m | 11:20PM1.29m | 11:40AM1.40m | 00:09AM1.31m | 12:32PM1.45m | 1:01AM1.32m | 1:27PM1.48m | 1:57AM1.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:36PM0.18m | 3:20AM0.18m | 3:30PM0.16m | 4:05AM0.16m | 4:22PM0.13m | 4:51AM0.13m | 5:13PM0.10m | 5:37AM0.09m | 6:03PM0.06m | 6:24AM0.05m | 6:54PM0.02m | 7:12AM0.01m | 7:45PM-0.01m | ||||||||
7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 6 | -3 | -4 | -2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | — | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 7 |
302 | 469 | 1460 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 3035 | 1532 | 595 | 612 | 412 | 1529 | 2289 | 1215 | 628 | 418 | 275 | 239 | 163 | 121 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | S 13 |
218 | 180 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | 505 | 284 | 204 | 358 | 139 | 69 | 4 | 21 | 39 | 60 | 218 | 123 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SSW 19 | NE 13 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 11 | SE 15 | E 18 | SE 13 | SSW 10 | — | NE 14 | S 18 | E 13 | NE 13 | SSE 17 | ENE 8 | S 10 |
88 | 68 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 78 | 6 | 140 | 96 | — | 8 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 97 | 6 | 73 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | WNW 3 | — | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | N 4 | SW 4 | SSW 6 | S 7 |
20 | 4 | — | 4445 | 5767 | 5945 | 4295 | 4054 | 1849 | 997 | 377 | — | — | — | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 50 | 198 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 16 | 183 | 279 | 273 | 102 | 235 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Castlepoint - The Gap Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Castlepoint - The Gap provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Castlepoint - The Gap can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Castlepoint - The Gap 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 (Castlepoint - The Gap) 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 Castlepoint - The Gap 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.
Are you planning a holiday in The Wairarapa? If you are looking for accommodation near Castlepoint - The Gap, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in The Wairarapa, consider staying in Masterton which is 48 km (30 miles) away. Other places in and around The Wairarapa where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Palmerston North which is 80 km (50 miles) away and Levin, 86 km (53 miles) away.











