Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 5,070 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with S 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Castlepoint - The Gap.
Right off the bat, there’s some small, clean surf on offer this Sunday morning. We’re looking at a tiny 1ft SSW swell, but with a 10-second period and a light offshore breeze, it’s rideable. The combined energy is weak (102), so don’t expect much push, but for a beginner-friendly spot, it’s a paddle. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Sunday afternoon improves a touch—swell bumps up to 2ft from the SSW, with a longer 12-second period, and the wind stays light offshore. The energy picks up to 157, still modest, but it’s clean and glassy. A nice little session for the longboard.
Monday gets a lot more interesting. The morning brings a 8ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, and a strong offshore wind. The energy skyrockets to 1560—that’s a solid pulse. But the wind is strong, 25 mph, making it a real fight to get out. The report flags it as marginal, and at this size, it’s pushing into expert territory. This is the standout for the week. Monday afternoon drops a bit to 7ft, with a fresh offshore breeze, still very clean, but the wind is still strong.
Tuesday sees the swell building even more. Morning is 10ft from the south, with a cross-off shore wind. The energy is 2881—strong, powerful. By Tuesday afternoon, it’s a beast: 15ft SSW, clean with a gentle breeze, and the energy reading is 7618. That is massive energy. The report says the swell is too big for this break, so unless you’re an expert, keep dry. This is the biggest pulse of the forecast.
Wednesday morning drops to 8ft from the south, with a 13-second period, and a moderate offshore. Energy is 2733, and the report calls it excellent for experienced surfers. Wednesday afternoon holds at 8ft but the period stretches to 16 seconds—very long groundswell. At a sheltered spot like The Gap, that long period can mean clean, lined-up waves, but the offshore wind is fresh, 19 mph. Still one of the better days.
Thursday morning sees the swell drop to 5ft, still clean offshore, but the energy is down to 671. Thursday afternoon is 4ft, moderate offshore, and the report says expect good surf. A solid, manageable day.
From Friday 4th September onwards, it gets iffy. The swell drops, the wind turns cross-off, and the reports are poor. There are days with small, clean waves, but nothing to get excited about. A long gap of mediocre surf sets in. Saturday 5th has 3ft, Sunday 6th is poor, and the whole of the following week stays small and weak. There’s a brief flicker on Monday 14th September with a 3ft SSW swell, but the period is a very long 17 seconds, and the energy is 668. The report says expect good surf, so that could be a sneaky clean session with a light breeze.
Overall, the real standout is Tuesday afternoon, 1st September, with that huge 15ft SSW swell—but it’s too big for this spot. The best all-round session for experienced surfers is Wednesday morning, 2nd September. The Gap is a fairly consistent spot, so these waves will come. If you’re a beginner, stick to the Sunday and the smaller Thursday afternoon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 6°C on Mon night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 6°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, near gales from the WNW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | S 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
108 | 43 | 121 | 149 | 1535 | 1164 | 2479 | 2868 | 5070 | 2626 | 2124 | 3845 | 2033 | 663 | 411 | 733 | 263 | 153 | 96 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 6:21AM1.12m | 6:43PM1.19m | 7:12AM1.17m | 7:39PM1.22m | 8:03AM1.24m | 8:33PM1.24m | 8:53AM1.31m | 9:25PM1.28m | 9:42AM1.37m | 10:15PM1.30m | 10:31AM1.42m | 11:03PM1.32m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:25AM0.24m | 12:28PM0.19m | 1:16AM0.22m | 1:23PM0.17m | 2:05AM0.20m | 2:21PM0.15m | 2:54AM0.17m | 3:17PM0.12m | 3:42AM0.13m | 4:10PM0.07m | 4:30AM0.08m | 5:01PM0.03m | |||||||
— | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | NE 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | ENE 9 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 |
108 | 26 | 121 | 90 | 1535 | 1164 | 2479 | 8 | 2525 | 2626 | 2124 | 3845 | 2033 | 663 | 411 | 733 | 263 | 153 | 96 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | SSE 10 | NE 7 | S 17 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SE 12 | NE 11 | ENE 10 | S 18 | NNE 9 | E 12 | NE 10 | NE 6 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | SSW 16 |
23 | 33 | 17 | 149 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 18 | 11 | 600 | 9 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SSW 10 | SSE 10 | NE 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | SE 12 | — | ENE 10 | — | — | SE 10 | NE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | NE 11 |
22 | 43 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 5 | — | 9 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 2 | — | — | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | — | S 12 | SSW 12 | — | — | NW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 2 | W 4 | WSW 3 |
1 | — | — | 19 | 11 | 14 | — | 2868 | 5070 | — | — | 24 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 143 | 143 | 88 | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 135 | 25 | 0 | 135 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











