
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,135 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your wettie, I’m Rusty, and here’s the full rundown on what’s coming our way.
First up, the main event is Castlepoint - The Gap. This spot is sheltered, so it needs a solid push from the right direction to get going.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things kick off properly on Sunday, July 26th. The morning is looking pretty tidy with a 6ft S swell, a light cross-off breeze, and the water temp sitting at 55°F – that’s pretty much normal for this time of year, no shock to the system. The energy is solid too, with a combined swell energy of (1046). It’s a good, clean start to the run.
The real standout of the whole forecast is Tuesday morning, July 28th. That’s when it all lines up. We’ve got a clean 7ft ESE groundswell with a 13-second period blowing offshore from the W. The wind is light, the surface is clean, and the energy is pumping at (1637). That’s the session to point your car towards. This is clean, lined-up power, and for a spot that’s sheltered, getting that much size with offshore wind is a treat.
The energy drops a bit after that, and we get into a stretch of days with smaller, more marginal surf. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are smaller and wind-affected, not really worth getting excited about.
Then, we look at the first week of August. Saturday morning, August 1st, brings a 7ft SSW swell, but it’s short period at 6 seconds, and while the wind is offshore, the quality is a bit junky. The energy is moderate (603). Not the best.
Sunday, August 2nd, the swell gets bigger – 12ft on the charts – but it’s coming from the S with a cross-on breeze. That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind is going to make it a bit of a mess. That’s expert territory size-wise, and the wind isn’t doing it any favours.
The real dark horse, and the one to keep an eye on if you’re patient, is Wednesday morning, August 5th. After a bit of a wild spell, the wind swings back offshore from the WSW, light breeze, and we’ve got a clean 8ft SSE swell. The energy is back up to (1005) and the forecast looks very good. That’s a solid, clean wave that could be the pick of the second week.
After that, it fades out towards the end of the 16-day run, with smaller, weaker swells from the 6th to the 10th of August. The 10th sees a bit of a bump in size (6ft) but the wind is not kind, and the quality drops off.
So, your two best bets: Tuesday morning, July 28th – that’s the cleanest, most powerful day of the whole run. And if you’re looking further out, Wednesday morning, August 5th is a solid, well-shaped option that’s definitely worth a look.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 6°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | E 11 | SE 14 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
435 | 407 | 454 | 732 | 878 | 1609 | 1573 | 1533 | 1255 | 938 | 834 | 661 | 418 | 325 | 254 | 168 | 116 | 132 | 370 | 1742 | 1891 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:41PM1.29m | 3:05AM1.14m | 3:22PM1.26m | 3:50AM1.11m | 4:03PM1.23m | 4:35AM1.08m | 4:46PM1.21m | 5:20AM1.07m | 5:31PM1.18m | 6:07AM1.06m | 6:19PM1.17m | 6:55AM1.07m | 7:09PM1.17m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:02PM0.27m | 9:04AM0.29m | 9:46PM0.28m | 9:49AM0.29m | 10:32PM0.29m | 10:35AM0.27m | 11:21PM0.28m | 11:21AM0.25m | 00:12AM0.26m | 12:07PM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 12:54PM0.21m | 1:48AM0.21m | ||||||||
7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | NE 9 | SE 15 | SE 16 | SE 14 |
291 | 221 | 155 | 245 | 878 | 1609 | 1573 | 1533 | 1255 | 938 | 834 | 661 | 418 | 325 | 254 | 82 | 112 | 132 | 181 | 239 | 198 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 11 | NE 7 | E 10 | E 10 |
214 | 407 | 454 | 732 | 258 | 56 | 64 | 64 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 99 | 131 | 121 | 35 | 161 | 116 | 86 | 17 | 18 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 13 | NE 5 | NE 5 | S 16 | SE 12 | SE 15 | SE 14 | ESE 10 | NE 7 | ENE 8 |
106 | 39 | 37 | 22 | 26 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 21 | 43 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 80 | 121 | 35 | 8 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NE 4 | NE 7 | NW 3 | W 2 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 |
435 | 328 | 72 | 340 | 368 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 168 | 2 | 1 | 370 | 1742 | 1891 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 99 | 0 | 16 | 137 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 102 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










