Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.91° S 176.22° E

Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Castlepoint - The Gap sea temperature is
11.8° C
1.0° 

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 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 16s period, SSW swell with 15,746 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Castlepoint - The Gap in the next 16 days are 5.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Thu 13th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 8s
Best Surf12AM (Wed 19th Aug)15ft (4.5m) 12s
Most Powerful 9AM (Wed 19th Aug)18ft (5.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break this down in feet and °F for you.

Truth is, the first week is a washout. Strong cross-winds, choppy, and weak waves. The water is sitting at about 53°F, which is a bit colder than the long-term average for this time of year—so you’ll want a good hood and gloves.

The first real chance to get wet is Friday, August 14th in the morning. The wind goes dead glassy at Castlepoint - The Gap. The swell is a tiny 3ft from the ENE, with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 150. It’s not going to barrel, but glassy conditions mean you can still get a few fun little rides. The afternoon gets a little bumpy, so hit the early session.

Saturday, August 15th morning looks a bit better. Swell picks up to 4ft from the East, with an 8-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the WSW cleans it up nicely. The combined energy is 247, so there’s a bit more grunt. Still not a classic, but it’s rideable.

Now, here’s the big one. Wednesday, August 19th morning shows a colossal 18ft swell from the SSW, with a very long period of 16 seconds and a combined energy reading of 26135. The wind is gentle offshore from the West, and it’s clean. But that is way too much size for this sheltered spot—it’s been flagged as too big. Only for the absolute hardcore. The Thursday morning after (August 20th) is your best bet: 8ft from the South, 12-second period, glassy, and a combined energy of 1740. That’s solid, clean, and the standout of the whole run.

After that, the swell fades. The last week is mostly small, messy, and cross-shore, with a few clean but weak mornings around the 21st and 22nd with 4ft to 6ft South swell and long periods. Not terrible, but not a reason to skip work.

So, for the best surf on offer, keep your eyes on Thursday, August 20th morning. The 14th and 15th are okay for a quick fix, but the 20th is the real deal. Everything else is just waiting for the next swell.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat morning, strong winds from the S by Sat night).

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
!
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
SE
7
0.9
SE
8
1
SE
9
1
NE
6
0.7
SE
8
1.2
ENE
7
1
ENE
7
1
ENE
7
0.9
ENE
8
1.1
E
8
1.3
ENE
8
2.2
S
7
3
S
9
2.4
S
8
1.9
S
8
0.8
SSW
15
2.1
S
9
1.4
S
9
1.7
SSW
13
2
S
9
4.5
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
128
109
159
67
67
116
88
111
98
138
235
440
1164
809
403
316
702
304
923
609
5408
Wind (km/h)
25
NE
30
NE
20
NNE
15
NNE
15
NNE
15
NNE
0
S
5
SSE
5
NW
5
WSW
25
SSW
35
S
35
S
30
SSW
25
SSW
20
SW
20
SSW
15
WSW
30
SSW
30
SSW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
off
High Tide
4:17PM1.50m
4:54AM1.29m
5:16PM1.47m
5:52AM1.29m
6:15PM1.43m
6:49AM1.30m
7:13PM1.39m
7:45AM1.32m
8:10PM1.35m
8:38AM1.34m
9:04PM1.33m
9:29AM1.35m
9:55PM1.31m
Low Tide
10:00AM-0.07m
10:39PM-0.01m
11:01AM-0.09m
11:43PM0.00m
12:00PM-0.08m
00:43AM0.02m
12:59PM-0.06m
1:39AM0.04m
1:57PM-0.02m
2:32AM0.06m
2:55PM0.03m
3:23AM0.10m
3:50PM0.08m
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:07
7:07
7:05
7:03
7:01
7:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:37
 mm
1
3
3
2
Temp °C
11
11
10
10
11
12
13
13
12
13
12
11
8
8
8
10
10
8
11
11
10
Feels °C
6
5
5
7
8
9
13
13
12
11
8
6
-1
0
1
5
4
2
4
5
5
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Castlepoint - The Gap:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest