Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 23s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 21s period, S swell with 4,160 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with ESE 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Castlepoint - The Gap in the next 16 days are 2.2m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 23s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's get into it. The week ahead at Castlepoint – The Gap is looking like a slow burner, but there's some serious juice lining up for the weekend.
The water temp is sitting at 55°F, which is pretty much where you'd expect it to be for this time of year, so no shock to the system there.
We are starting off quiet. Thursday the 16th is a write-off with weak, poor quality swell. Friday the 17th is where we get our first real glimpse of something decent. Friday morning is looking clean with a gentle offshore from the WNW, waves around 4ft from the ESE. The energy is solid, but it's a bit of a long period groundswell, which can make things a little wonky on a beach setup, so pick your peak carefully.
Saturday the 18th is the standout. Both sessions are good, but Saturday afternoon is the pick of the whole forecast. You've got a clean, gentle offshore from the WNW, and the swell bumps up to 7ft from the south with a very long period of 22 seconds. This is a powerful, serious groundswell. That size and period means it's strictly for experienced surfers only. Beginners will be in way over their heads. It's going to be big, clean, and lined-up, but you need to know what you're doing.
Sunday the 19th continues the run of good swell. Morning has a light cross-off breeze and 6ft from the SSW, but Sunday afternoon is a beauty with glassy conditions and a clean 6ft south swell. That's a very inviting window for a surf.
The start of the next week gets a little messier. Monday the 20th is okay in the morning with a clean offshore and 5ft, but the afternoon gets hit by rain showers and a cross-off breeze. Tuesday the 21st has size, with 7ft on Tuesday morning, but the wind is messy and the conditions are marginal.
After that, things fade. The end of the forecast period has a big gap with very little surf. You'll see a few small pulses, but nothing worth paddling out for until a late pulse on Thursday the 30th. That afternoon shows 7ft from the NE with a clean cross-off wind. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it's something to look forward to after a flat spell.
So, the play is clear: Saturday afternoon for the experienced crew, and Sunday afternoon for everyone else who wants clean, solid waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Thu morning, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | S 15 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | S 22 | S 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 167 | 298 | 635 | 892 | 1200 | 818 | 682 | 4129 | 3038 | 1949 | 1493 | 845 | 886 | 1113 | 925 | 2775 | 1857 | 1392 | 812 | 603 | 347 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:35PM1.54m | 7:12AM1.34m | 7:34PM1.50m | 8:09AM1.35m | 8:32PM1.44m | 9:03AM1.36m | 9:29PM1.40m | 9:55AM1.36m | 10:23PM1.36m | 10:46AM1.36m | 11:13PM1.33m | 11:36AM1.35m | 00:01AM1.29m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:20PM-0.09m | 1:08AM-0.04m | 1:19PM-0.10m | 2:05AM-0.04m | 2:17PM-0.08m | 2:59AM-0.02m | 3:16PM-0.04m | 3:52AM0.01m | 4:14PM0.01m | 4:42AM0.05m | 5:08PM0.07m | 5:30AM0.10m | 6:00PM0.13m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  |  | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — |
 | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | S 15 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | S 22 | S 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 |
| kJ | 167 | 298 | 635 | 892 | 1200 | 818 | 682 | 4129 | 3038 | 1949 | 1493 | 845 | 886 | 1113 | 925 | 2775 | 1857 | 1392 | 812 | 603 | 347 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 7 | S 10 | ESE 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | S 18 | ESE 12 | S 18 | ESE 11 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 24 | 25 | 38 | 313 | 909 | 571 | 314 | 586 | 479 | 351 | 286 | 187 | 492 | 123 | 758 | 70 | 69 | 31 | 12 | 45 | 28 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | E 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | — | — | SSW 25 | — | — | — | — | S 19 | ESE 12 | — | ESE 12 | — | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | E 13 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 19 | 2 | 47 | 74 | — | — | 208 | — | — | — | — | 265 | 164 | — | 88 | — | 48 | 47 | 30 | 4 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 74 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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.
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