Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.91° S 176.22° E

Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Castlepoint - The Gap sea temperature is
12.8° C
0.2° 

Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 23s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 23s period, S swell with 4,617 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 8s. 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 2.1m 23s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Fri 17th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 16s
Best Surf12PM (Sat 18th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 23s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sat 18th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 23s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, mate. First things first: we’ve got a bit of a wait for the real good stuff. The early part of the window is all about clean, consistent, beginner-friendly waves, but the real standout is going to be that Saturday afternoon session on the 18th of July. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

We start off on Friday the 17th of July. The morning is looking nice with a 4ft swell from the ESE, a 16-second period, and a gentle offshore breeze from the WNW. It’s clean, but it’s not huge. The combined energy is strong (1254), and it stays that way through the afternoon with a 5ft ESE swell. Nice, clean surf for a mellow session.

Saturday the 18th of July starts similar – 4ft, ESE swell, clean with a 12 mph offshore wind. But then the afternoon… that’s the pick of the week. The wind goes glassy, and a 7ft swell from the S rolls in with a 23-second period. That’s a serious groundswell, and the energy is massive (5243). That’s the kind of wave that will have the place humming. It’s a bit much for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s going to be firing. The long period means it’ll be a bit more lined up and pushy, but it might break a bit straight at the beach unless it finds a bank. Keep an eye on the tide.

Sunday the 19th of July is still good. Morning has a 6ft SSW swell with a 17-second period and a light offshore wind. Clean. The afternoon goes glassy again with a 6ft SSW swell. Not as big as Saturday, but still very good.

Monday the 20th of July keeps the clean theme going in the morning – 6ft S swell, light offshore, but the energy is dropping (1462). The afternoon gets a bit grotty with a cross-onshore wind, so that’s a miss.

Tuesday the 21st of July is a write-off. The wind is cross-shore and picking up, and the surf is messy. Wednesday the 22nd of July has a small 4ft S swell in the morning, clean, but it drops off hard in the afternoon to 2ft. Then we hit a bit of a flat spell. From Thursday the 23rd of July right through to Friday the 25th of July, the swell is tiny (2ft to 3ft), and the conditions are poor. Not worth a paddle.

Saturday the 26th of July brings a big jump. The morning has a 10ft E swell, but with a short 8-second period and a clean offshore wind. The energy is strong (1615), but that short period means it’s going to be a bit fat and walled up. The afternoon is messy with the same size swell and a cross-shore wind. This one is for experts only if you’re game.

Sunday the 27th of July is a no-go. Big swell (12ft) but with a howling 22 mph cross-onshore wind. Lumpy, messy, and dangerous. Not surfable.

Then we get a bit of a save. Monday the 28th of July morning has a clean 5ft SE swell with a 12-second period. Clean, manageable. But the rest of the week into early August gets messy again with strong winds and small, poor-quality surf.

The absolute standout? Saturday the 18th of July afternoon at Castlepoint - The Gap. That 7ft SSW groundswell with glassy conditions is the moment. The energy is massive (5243), and the wave quality will be top-tier for the experienced surfer. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird. Crowds are a possibility here, especially on a weekend, but for that quality, it’s worth sharing the peak.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 12°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
3
2
3
4
4
4
3
3
3
4
2
3
1
1
2
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
ESE
16
1.3
ESE
16
1.4
ESE
16
1.4
ESE
15
1.3
ESE
14
2.1
S
23
2.2
S
19
1.9
SSW
17
1.8
SSW
16
1.8
S
15
1.8
S
14
1.5
S
19
2.5
S
18
2.1
S
15
1.9
S
14
1.5
S
13
1.2
S
12
0.7
SSW
12
0.6
SSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
635
892
909
818
682
4617
3652
2238
1685
1489
1335
1617
3802
2093
1423
759
409
145
104
Wind (km/h)
5
W
15
WNW
15
NW
20
NW
20
WNW
5
S
10
W
10
W
5
SSE
5
N
5
NW
10
SE
15
E
15
NNE
20
NNE
20
NW
10
W
10
S
5
W
Wind State
glassy
off
off
cross-off
off
glassy
off
off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
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
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:33
7:31
7:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:09
5:10
5:10
 mm
6
Temp °C
11
12
12
11
12
12
10
12
12
10
11
10
11
11
12
10
11
11
9
Feels °C
8
9
9
6
10
11
8
10
10
8
9
8
7
8
8
6
9
8
7
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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