Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Castlepoint - The Gap area over the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off a bit slow, but there’s a real standout session brewing if you’ve got a bit of patience. The surf picks up into a solid run from late next week, but before that, we’ve got a few decent windows too.

Monday the 27th is pretty average. There’s a 5ft to 5ft ESE swell rolling in with a deep 13-second period, so there’s some energy there (1296), but the wind is a moderate cross-off breeze, and the report flags it as marginal. Nothing to get excited about, honestly.

Tuesday the 28th morning is where things start to look up. The swell pushes to 7ft from the ESE, still with that lovely 13-second period. The energy jumps to 1713 and with a light cross-off breeze and clear skies, it’s going to be clean. This is the first real highlight of the period – a solid, punchy groundswell with light wind. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a steamer won’t go amiss.

Wednesday the 29th stays clean but the swell drops back to 6ft. The wind is a gentle cross-off again, making for a pleasant session, though the energy has dipped a bit. Thursday and Friday see the swell fade right down to under 3ft and the wind gets stronger, so it’s not worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 1st of August brings a big change. An 8ft S swell from a shorter 13-second period slams in, with energy reading 2690, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop, and there’s light rain. It’s messy and marginal. By Sunday the 2nd, it’s a full-blown event – 15ft to 23ft of S/SSW swell, but with a near gale cross-onshore wind, it’s completely blown out. The energy numbers are huge (up to 17270), but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go. Honestly, with that kind of wind and size, it’s more of a kitesurfing setup than anything you want to take a log out in.

Monday the 3rd is still angry with 15ft swell and fresh cross-onshore winds. Still blown out.

Then we hit the real gem of the outlook. Tuesday the 4th of August morning. The swell has backed off to a still-solid 10ft from the SE, period at a nice 12 seconds, and the wind swings offshore from the WNW with a gentle breeze. The energy reading is 2232, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is it – the standout. Clean, offshore, solid groundswell at Castlepoint - The Gap. This one is for the crew who know what they’re doing. If you’re a beginner, this is too big.

Wednesday the 5th morning is a good follow-up: 6ft SE swell, still offshore (WNW), slight air, clean. Very good conditions for a wider range of surfers.

After that, the swell tails off into smaller, less consistent surf through to the 8th and 9th of August. The 9th sees another pulse of 10ft from the E, but with short 8-second period, it’s a bit fat and crumbly, though clean.

Then Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August are absolute crackers for experienced surfers. Solid 10ft ENE swell, periods stretching to 11 seconds, and gentle cross-off breezes keeping it clean. The energy is strong (2661 on the Monday afternoon), and the forecast is “excellent.” This is a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, it’s going to be pumping.

So, to sum it up: the best windows are Tuesday morning the 28th of July for a clean, fun session, and the absolute standout is Tuesday the 4th of August morning for a proper, expert-level groundswell with offshore winds. The run from the 4th to the 5th is your best bet for quality. The second week has a promising but less certain run from the 9th to the 11th for the experienced crew.

Rusty.

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