
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 6,724 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 15s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s. 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 5.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
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 pick of the whole sixteen-day stretch without a doubt is Monday the 27th of July, but we’ve got a fair bit of water to wade through before we get there.
The first decent session kicks off Monday morning, the 20th of July, at Castlepoint - The Gap. It’s a sheltered spot, and it’s mainly a beginner-friendly wave. Swell is coming in from the south at 7ft, with a very long period of 15s. That’s pure groundswell, and with a combined energy of 2086 (moderate to strong), it’s got some grunt. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping things clean. For a Monday morning, that’s a solid start. The water temp is about average for the time of year.
Monday afternoon the wind ticks around a bit onshore, making it messy, so the morning is definitely the call.
Tuesday the 21st stays clean both morning and afternoon, with a light cross-off breeze. The swell drops slightly to 7ft in the morning, still from the south, still a long 15s period. Combined energy is 1802, still decent. By afternoon it’s 6ft, 14s period, energy 1260. Good, consistent surf for a beginner-to-intermediate crew.
Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell drop away – 3ft in the morning, 4ft in the afternoon. It’s clean enough in the morning with a light offshore, but the energy is down to 378. Ordinary. Thursday the 23rd is tiny, 2ft, and then it drops to almost nothing from Friday the 24th through to Saturday the 25th. Combined energy falls to 28 and 35, so you’re looking at a few days of flatness. There’s a gap of about four days with very little to recommend.
Then things get interesting. Sunday the 26th of July brings a big jump in swell – 12ft going to 13ft, from the SSW. But the wind is a strong cross-shore, 25 mph in the morning, and the sea state is messy. The combined energy is 3442 and 4573, but the quality is poor. That’s a no-go for paddling, but if you’re into kites, the setup looks much more interesting than a surfboard.
Monday the 27th of July is the real standout. Morning session: 13ft of south swell, 11s period, combined energy 4692. And the wind? A gentle offshore from the west. That’s clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. The break is sheltered, and with a long period groundswell like this, it’s going to be a freight train, not a beginner wave. The afternoon stays big at 12ft, with a cross-offshore, still good but the morning is the pick.
Tuesday the 28th holds size at 10ft, with a moderate cross-off. Still big, still for experienced crew, but the energy is high (2380 to 3952). The wind is a bit stronger, so it’s not as clean as Monday.
Wednesday the 29th of July sees a shift in swell direction to the ESE, 7ft, with a period of 12s. The wind is a light cross-off, and the combined energy is 1704. Good shape, but the direction is a bit odd for the gap, so it might not line up perfectly.
Thursday the 30th of July drops to 6ft, and by the afternoon the wind is actually offshore from the NW, with 5ft ESE swell, 11s period, and energy 868. That’s a much more manageable size, and the moderate offshore wind will make for clean, fun waves. Good for a wider range of surfers.
Friday the 31st of July brings a short-period 7ft from the NE (8s), which is generally junky, but the wind is offshore in the afternoon. The period is too short to get excited about.
The first week of August looks a bit mixed. Saturday the 1st is tiny, Sunday the 2nd sees a 7ft SSW swell building to 8ft with a fresh offshore – that’s promising, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. Monday the 3rd of August is a write-off with 13ft and strong cross-shore wind. Then Tuesday the 4th of August, the last day in the window, shows a 12ft south swell, 12s period, with a light offshore wind and combined energy 4101. That’s a big, clean, expert-only wave to finish the run.
So, bottom line: if you’re an experienced surfer, Monday morning the 27th of July is the absolute standout. For the rest of us, the Thursday morning the 30th of July is the best bet for a clean, fun, manageable wave. The middle of the week is flat, but the end of the run has some promising size.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed night, fresh winds from the W by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | S 15 | S 19 | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1780 | 1959 | 4849 | 3426 | 1733 | 1190 | 633 | 244 | 339 | 117 | 81 | 47 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 91 | 128 | 138 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross |
High Tide | 9:29PM1.40m | 9:55AM1.36m | 10:23PM1.36m | 10:46AM1.36m | 11:13PM1.33m | 11:36AM1.35m | 00:01AM1.29m | 12:26PM1.33m | 00:46AM1.26m | 1:14PM1.32m | 1:32AM1.22m | 1:59PM1.30m | 2:19AM1.18m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:52AM0.01m | 4:14PM0.01m | 4:42AM0.05m | 5:08PM0.07m | 5:30AM0.10m | 6:00PM0.13m | 6:15AM0.15m | 6:48PM0.18m | 6:58AM0.21m | 7:34PM0.22m | 7:39AM0.25m | 8:18PM0.25m | |||||||
— | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 15 | S 19 | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | NE 4 | S 9 | NE 5 | ENE 9 | SSW 8 | ENE 11 | E 10 |
1780 | 1959 | 4849 | 3426 | 1733 | 1190 | 633 | 244 | 339 | 117 | 81 | 47 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 31 | 64 | 128 | 138 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 11 | ESE 11 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 9 | ENE 5 | S 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | S 6 | SE 16 |
187 | 127 | 123 | 115 | 69 | 70 | 47 | 112 | 22 | 49 | 40 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 91 | 20 | 118 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | — | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | S 8 | SE 13 | SE 15 | SSW 17 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | 26 | 26 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 27 | 77 | 93 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | — | NNE 2 | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NW 3 | W 4 | — | NW 2 | SW 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 16 | — | 2 | 133 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 194 | 66 | 192 | 28 | 88 | 0 | 104 |
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.










