Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Gap at Castlepoint. This is a sheltered little nook that needs a specific window to fire, and the next couple of weeks are gonna test your patience if you're chasing something clean.

The water's sitting at 53°F, which is a bit colder than average for this time of year, so you'll want the thick rubber on.

The outlook opens on Saturday afternoon, the 8th. We've got some clouds and a glassy sea with a light 3 mph breeze out of the ENE. There's a 5ft south swell rolling in with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 589. It's not huge, but it's clean and the conditions are looking friendly. This is a decent little window to get wet.

Sunday the 9th is a write-off. The wind swings around to the NNE at 12 mph and it's cross-chop city. The swell drops a touch, but the surf quality is just poor. Monday the 10th starts with a clean but very ordinary 3ft SSE swell, and any hope of a session is killed by rain showers and a cross-shore wind in the afternoon.

We get a brief glimpse of something better on Tuesday morning, the 11th. The south swell picks back up to 3ft with a longer 12-second period, and a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the SW keeps it clean. Combined energy is up to 664, which is a solid moderate push. That's worth a look.

Then we hit a long, frustrating stretch. From Tuesday afternoon through Saturday the 15th, it's a mess of cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and short-period slop. The swell sticks around, but it's junky and the energy drops. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday the 16th sees the swell start to build again, hitting 6ft by the afternoon out of the south, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-off and it's lumpy. The energy is getting strong, but the quality isn't there.

Now, Monday the 17th is where things start to get interesting. The wind goes light offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, and the swell is a solid 6ft from the south with a 10-second period. The energy is back up to 589, and the conditions are clean. This is a proper surf window, and a standout for the run.

The middle of the week turns nasty. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th bring strong southwesterly gales, 25-28 mph, with the swell blowing out to 10ft. The combined energy is enormous – 1215, then 2684, then a massive 3943 on Wednesday afternoon – but the cross-shore wind will turn it into a washing machine. This is not for a paddleboard; this is kite-surfing territory if anything.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st keep the big, stormy south swell, around 8ft to 10ft, but the wind stays strong and cross. Friday morning has a long 15-second period and a cross-off breeze, which is promising for the points, but the sheer size and the wind will make it a heavy, expert-only affair. The energy readings are off the charts – 3766 on Friday morning.

After that big pulse, things finally settle. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see the swell back down to a clean 5ft to 6ft from the south, with light offshore or cross-off winds. The energy is moderate, and the conditions look glassy and clean. These are your best bets for a proper, fun surf without the drama.

So, the standout windows are Monday morning the 17th, and then the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd. The Tuesday morning session on the 11th is a smaller, cleaner option. The big stuff mid-week is just too messy.

Rusty out.

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