Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, S swell with 8,589 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period with NE 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 (Aug 14) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk shop about the next couple of weeks at The Gap.
The short version? We’ve got a slow start, a couple of blown-out days, and then one massive slab of ocean that’ll sort the men from the boys. Water’s sitting right around 53°F, which is a touch colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want the full rubber.
Thursday is a right-off. Onshore breeze, weak energy (201), and the surf is just plain poor. Nothing to see here.
Friday morning shows a slight glimmer – a glassy 4ft of windswell (169) – but it’s ordinary. The afternoon picks up a little to 5ft (235) but the light cross breeze chops it up. Still nothing to write home about.
Saturday adds some size with 6ft in the morning (536) and 6ft in the afternoon (565), period bumping to 9 seconds. But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be lumpy. Marginal.
Sunday is a full-blown storm. A big south swell pushing 10ft and a screaming 45 km/h south wind creates a total mess. The energy’s huge (1950-2043), but it’s all chop and whitewater. Don’t even look at it.
Monday backs down to 7ft (1002), but the wind is still howling. The afternoon is where it gets slightly interesting – the swell drops a touch to 8ft, the wind goes cross-offshore, and it cleans up (1094). It’s still a beast, and the period is short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be crumbly. Only for the hardcore.
Tuesday follows suit with 8ft of SSW swell (1484) and a fresh cross-off breeze. Big, but not perfect. The energy is strong, but the period is still short, so it’s a battle.
And then we hit Wednesday the 19th. This is the big one.
The morning forecast is a staggering 15ft of swell with a 12-second period, and the energy reading is astronomical (9876). But the warning is clear: it’s predicted to be *too big* for this break. That’s a serious red flag. The afternoon still shows a monstrous 13ft, but the period jumps to 16 seconds, which is an ultra-long-period groundswell (14620 energy). The wind is cross-offshore, but the sheer size makes this a day for experts only. Beginners, stay well clear. This is a dangerous, heavy day.
Thursday the 20th is where the magic could happen. The swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft with a long 12-second period (1464). The morning has a gentle cross-offshore breeze and the forecast says “very good surf conditions.” This is one of the true standouts. Clean, lined-up, and powerful. Be there early.
Friday the 21st backs off to 5ft of leftover south swell (530) with light offshore winds in the morning. Clean but smaller and less consistent. Still a decent morning sesh.
From Saturday the 22nd into the following week, it’s a slow fade. The swell drops each day, the period stays long, and the winds are mostly light and offshore. The energy drops off too. There are some clean, small waves – knee to waist high on the mellow days – but nothing with any punch. The morning of the 25th shows a bump to 5ft with a 12-second period (821), which could be worth a look if you’re keen, but it’s nothing special.
Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are pretty much flat. The energy is weak, the swell has died, and it’s back to the grovel board.
So here’s the deal: if you can handle big waves, Wednesday the 19th is your ultimate test, but Thursday the 20th is the real score – clean, solid, and with a proper long-period groundswell. That’s your standout. The rest is just picking through the leftovers.
Stay salty.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, strong winds from the SSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sun morning, moderate winds from the SSW by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 16 | S 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
69 | 69 | 279 | 135 | 186 | 92 | 488 | 446 | 249 | 1514 | 1663 | 831 | 509 | 723 | 745 | 972 | 851 | 1717 | 5788 | 8589 | 3294 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 10:17AM1.34m | 10:43PM1.29m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:12AM0.13m | 4:42PM0.13m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 11 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 8 | E 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | E 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 9 | SE 10 | S 12 | S 15 | S 14 |
67 | 51 | 117 | 135 | 7 | 92 | 488 | 446 | 249 | 248 | 212 | 168 | 331 | 128 | 391 | 484 | 528 | 115 | 4088 | 6031 | 3294 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 18 | ESE 8 | S 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 10 | SE 10 | S 15 | — | — | — |
47 | 29 | 28 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 102 | 94 | 188 | 138 | 350 | 140 | 222 | 108 | 28 | 433 | 112 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | ESE 13 | SSW 19 | — | S 20 | SE 15 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | E 9 | — | E 11 | — | — | — | — |
18 | 17 | 35 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 31 | 17 | 203 | — | 30 | 9 | 22 | 21 | 62 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | — | ENE 7 | NE 7 | — | — | SW 2 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 16 | — |
69 | 69 | 279 | — | 186 | 77 | — | — | 1 | 1514 | 1663 | 831 | 509 | 723 | 745 | 972 | 851 | 1717 | 5788 | 8589 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 88 | 88 | 99 | 76 | 310 | 287 | 102 | 99 | 169 | 102 | 190 | 156 | 169 | 167 | 273 | 1 |
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.











