Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, S swell with 3,344 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the waves coming our way for Castlepoint – The Gap. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks, so let’s break it down.
We start off with a bang, but it’s a tricky one. On Wednesday the 19th, we’ve got a serious pulse of southwest swell pushing in. The morning shows a solid 15ft of south swell with a strong 30 km/h cross-shore wind. The energy is pumping at 9940. However, that’s a whole lot of water for this spot, especially for a beginner. It’s going to be wild and powerful, not the day to test your luck if you’re new to this. The water temp is 53°F, which is about 1°F cooler than the long-term average for this time of year – nothing crazy, just a bit of a nip in the air. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 10ft but the period stretches out to 15 seconds. Still too big and unruly for a clean session.
Thursday the 20th is a step down. The swell backs off to 7ft in the morning with a 15 km/h cross-offshore breeze from the southwest. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but it’s surfable. The afternoon is smaller but a bit messier with a cross-shore wind. Not a standout, but there are waves.
Friday the 21st is where things get interesting. The morning brings a clean 5ft of south swell, a 16-second period, and light cross-offshore winds from the NNW. The energy is solid at 1317, and it’s looking clean. The afternoon is even better with a light offshore wind and 5ft of swell. This is shaping up to be a good day for a paddle.
Saturday the 22nd is a letdown. The swell drops to 3ft, and although the wind is offshore, it’s a fresh 30 km/h breeze that will make it hard to get into the waves. The energy is weak at 253. Sunday is worse – tiny 1ft leftover swell and gale-force offshore winds. Forget it, you’d be fighting the wind more than riding waves. It’s a couple of days of small, blown-out surf.
There’s a bit of a pickup on Monday the 24th. We’ve got 3ft to 4ft of SSW swell with a good 15-second period in the afternoon. The wind is a moderate offshore, which will keep it clean. It’s a fun, small day, but not epic.
Tuesday the 25th looks frustrating. The swell is around 3ft, but a strong 40 km/h offshore wind will make it howling and hard to paddle into. You’ll see clean faces but it will be a battle just to get out the back. Not recommended.
From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month, it goes quiet. The swell drops off, the winds turn onshore or cross-shore, and the energy dies. There are a few days with small swell and onshore winds which will leave it lumpy and uninviting. This is a proper flat spell, lasting several days with no real recommendations. The 28th sees a bit of a rise in swell but with a short, weak period and onshore winds, so it’s not worth much.
As we roll into September, things start to look a little more promising. Thursday the 3rd shows a decent 6ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and light, cross-offshore winds in the morning. The energy is climbing to 1359, and the conditions look clean. This is a promising long-range pick, but remember, it’s still over a week away, so it’s not set in stone.
The other standout in this period is Friday the 21st of August. That morning with the clean 5ft south swell and good period looks like the pick of the first week.
So, to sum it up – we have some solid, overhead surf arriving Wednesday but it’s too big and messy. Your best bets look to be Friday the 21st for a clean, fun session, and then keep an eye on that Thursday the 3rd of September as a potential good one. It’s a classic case of being patient and picking your moment.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WNW on Sun morning, light winds from the WNW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5552 | 3344 | 3069 | 522 | 617 | 839 | 1226 | 806 | 409 | 244 | 191 | 100 | 48 | 33 | 31 | 392 | 456 | 326 | 468 | 465 | 425 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:17AM1.34m | 10:43PM1.29m | 11:05AM1.33m | 11:28PM1.26m | 11:52AM1.31m | 00:11AM1.22m | 12:37PM1.28m | 00:54AM1.18m | 1:20PM1.26m | 1:39AM1.14m | 2:01PM1.24m | 2:24AM1.10m | 2:42PM1.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:42PM0.13m | 4:59AM0.17m | 5:31PM0.16m | 5:43AM0.20m | 6:17PM0.18m | 6:24AM0.22m | 6:59PM0.20m | 7:03AM0.24m | 7:40PM0.21m | 7:42AM0.24m | 8:20PM0.21m | 8:22AM0.24m | 9:01PM0.22m | ||||||||
7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 15 | S 14 | S 8 | S 8 | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | ESE 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
3210 | 3344 | 1894 | 354 | 297 | 839 | 1226 | 806 | 409 | 244 | 191 | 100 | 48 | 28 | 31 | 392 | 456 | 326 | 468 | 465 | 425 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 16 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 14 |
1149 | 421 | 302 | 289 | 147 | 258 | 71 | 64 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 14 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 30 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SSE 8 | — | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | — | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 9 | SW 14 | — | WSW 4 | NE 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | SE 15 | E 11 |
29 | 230 | — | 75 | 62 | 61 | 7 | — | 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | — | SSW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | W 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 2 | WNW 3 | — | NW 4 | NW 2 | NW 4 | — |
5552 | — | 3069 | 522 | 617 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | 10 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 102 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 16 | 135 | 135 | 135 | 88 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 74 |
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.











