Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’re looking at a pretty slow run ahead for a while, so don’t get too excited just yet. There’s a few days of ordinary surf on the way before things start to pick up. The main action will be around the second weekend and into the following week, with some good energy coming through.

The first decent window won’t arrive until Sunday morning, July 12th. Castlepoint - The Gap is your only real option, and it’s a beginner-friendly, sheltered spot that’s fairly consistent. It’s an ESE swell magnet, so you’re looking at a small 3 ft from the SSW with a long 13s period. The wind is offshore WNW at 6 mph, making for clean conditions. It’s a light breeze, and the water temp is 55°, which is about average for the time of year. The combined swell energy is moderate (427). It’s not big, but it’s clean and rideable. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Sunday afternoon drops off with messy cross-shore wind and small surf, so make the most of the morning.

The next standout comes on Friday morning, July 17th. There’s a pulse of ESE swell hitting 4 ft, with a very long 16s period. The combined energy is strong (708), and the wind is cross-off from the NNW at 9 mph, keeping it clean. This is a proper groundswell, and the longer period will favour the reef and point setup here. It’s clean, and the energy has some grunt behind it.

Friday afternoon looks even better. The swell lifts to 4 ft, still from the ESE with that same 16s period, and the wind swings offshore from the NW at 16 mph. Combined energy cranks up to 960, and it’s moderate offshore and clean. For a sheltered break, this is the pick of the first week. The water will still be around that 55° mark, nothing unusual.

Saturday morning, July 18th, is a write-off. Rain showers and a fresh 22 mph cross-shore SSW wind with lumpy cross-chop will ruin any chance of fun surf. The energy spikes, but the quality is gone.

Then things get serious on Sunday morning, July 19th. This is the big one for experienced surfers only. We’ve got a solid 8 ft S swell with a very long 15s period, and a clean offshore WNW wind at 16 mph. The combined energy is massive – 3554 – so this is a powerful, heavy groundswell. This break is sheltered from the S, but the long-period energy will wrap in nicely. It’s expert territory at this size, and the waves will be thick and lined up. The wind holds offshore through the afternoon too, with 8 ft still on the cards, but the tide conditions get a bit more marginal then.

Monday morning, July 20th, is still very good. The S swell drops to 6 ft, period 13s, with a light offshore W wind at 6 mph. Combined energy is still strong (1228), and it’s clean. This is more manageable for strong intermediates who want a piece of the action.

Tuesday, July 21st, has a smaller S swell around 3 ft with a long 16s period, but the wind is cross-off SW at 9 mph, keeping it clean. The energy is still moderate (932), but it’s not a standout after the weekend.

Into the following week, the main highlight is Friday morning, July 24th. The swell is 7 ft from the ENE with an 11s period, and a light offshore W wind at 6 mph. Combined energy is strong (917), and it’s clean. That’s a solid size for the break, and with glassy conditions on the Friday afternoon too, it’s a great end to the run. By Saturday, July 25th, the wind goes nuts with a strong breeze, so that’s the end of the good stuff.

Sunday, July 26th, finishes with a clean 5 ft to 6 ft ENE swell and gentle offshore WNW wind, but the period is shorter at 8-9s. It’s surfable, but nothing like the previous weekend.

Overall, the best on offer is the Sunday 19th and Monday 20th window for the big, clean groundswell, and Friday 24th for the clean, punchy mid-period swell. The early part of the forecast is lean, so save your energy for those days.

Rusty.

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