Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 4,273 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s 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 13) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
First off, the wait is real. The start of this forecast period is a total write-off at Castlepoint - The Gap. We’re talking days of tiny, weak swell with hardly any energy (combined energy barely cracking 200). Winds are messy, cross-off or onshore, and the water is just sitting there at 55°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about. You’ll be staring at flat, clean lines but with zero push. That’s the story from Monday the 13th right through till Thursday the 17th.
Then things start to shake up. Friday the 17th afternoon sees a spike in size – 12 ft from the SSW (12 sec period) – but the wind is a cross-off, and the combined energy jumps to 4347. That’s a lot of juice, but it’s messy and hard to handle. This one is for the experienced crew only, and even then, it’s marginal. The swell direction isn’t ideal for The Gap, which is sheltered and wants ESE.
Now, the real standout comes on Monday the 20th. That morning is the pick of the entire run. We’ve got a solid 8 ft SSW groundswell, with a 12-second period, and cross-off winds from the SW. The combined energy is a massive 3067, so there’s proper power in the water. It’s clean, it’s big, and it’s powerful. This is definitely for experienced surfers only – at 8 ft it’s too much for beginners. The crowd factor is a worry here, as this spot is often busy, so get in early.
Another strong option lands on Tuesday the 21st morning. Another 7 ft SSW swell, 14-second period, with glassy offshore winds from the WNW. That’s about as clean as it gets. The combined energy is 2084, so still plenty of grunt. Again, this is a big-wave day for the competent crew. A bit of a caveat though – with that long period, The Gap, being a sheltered spot, could get a little straight and lumpy, but with the offshore wind, it should still be quality.
After that, the surf settles back down. From Wednesday the 22nd onwards, we’re back to smaller, weaker stuff under 5 ft, with cross-onshore winds creeping in. The energy drops off a cliff (down to 194 by Friday the 24th). There’s a brief window on Saturday the 25th morning with a clean 2 ft SE swell and offshore wind, but it’s just ordinary. Nothing to plan a trip around.
So, the one-two punch for the best waves is Monday 20th July morning and Tuesday 21st July morning. Both are big, powerful, and clean. The rest of the period is a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Fri night, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 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) | SSW 10 | S 13 | S 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 18 | S 16 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 100 | 87 | 77 | 31 | 19 | 52 | 69 | 43 | 56 | 167 | 273 | 487 | 749 | 3402 | 1646 | 846 | 626 | 479 | 522 | 1297 | 2536 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:37PM1.57m | 4:16AM1.36m | 4:35PM1.59m | 5:15AM1.35m | 5:35PM1.58m | 6:14AM1.35m | 6:35PM1.54m | 7:12AM1.34m | 7:34PM1.50m | 8:09AM1.35m | 8:32PM1.44m | 9:03AM1.36m | 9:29PM1.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:20AM0.03m | 9:59PM0.01m | 10:21AM-0.01m | 11:03PM-0.01m | 11:21AM-0.06m | 00:07AM-0.03m | 12:20PM-0.09m | 1:08AM-0.04m | 1:19PM-0.10m | 2:05AM-0.04m | 2:17PM-0.08m | 2:59AM-0.02m | 3:16PM-0.04m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | ESE 9 | S 12 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | S 10 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | S 16 | S 14 |
| kJ | 100 | 65 | 77 | 16 | 12 | 52 | 69 | 43 | 56 | 167 | 273 | 487 | 749 | 945 | 918 | 846 | 626 | 479 | 388 | 1297 | 1342 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | S 10 | NE 5 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 19 | E 10 | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 5 | SSW 16 | — | SE 15 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | SSW 18 | SE 12 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 69 | 46 | 11 | 31 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 36 | 18 | 24 | 26 | 31 | 147 | — | 930 | 266 | 110 | 65 | 522 | 358 | 304 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | S 13 | ESE 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | SW 9 | SW 4 | ENE 5 | S 18 | SW 14 | NE 5 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | S 7 | — | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 44 | 87 | 25 | 27 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 8 | 1 | 24 | — | — | — | 116 | 15 | 295 | 51 | — | 475 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NNW 3 | NW 2 | NW 3 | — | — | NNW 2 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | SSW 8 | S 8 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 1 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 286 | 3402 | 1646 | — | — | — | 99 | 89 | 2536 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 74 | 143 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 99 | 99 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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