Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the Castlepoint area. Things start a bit slow, but there’s a proper highlight shaping up later in the week, and a couple of other windows worth keeping an eye on.

First up, Sunday the 5th of July, the afternoon sees a building swell. We’ve got an average 6ft from the NE, with period a touch short at 8 seconds, meaning a bit of a bumpy, weaker energy (819). Water temp is sitting at 55°, which is pretty much standard for the time of year. Wind is light from the N, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. Ideal for beginners at The Gap, that size is manageable. Expect crowds here often.

Monday the 6th is a write-off – onshore wind from the SE and poor conditions, nothing happening.

Tuesday the 7th brings a jump in size. Morning sees 8ft from the ENE with a light cross-on breeze. That’s getting up there for a beginner, but the afternoon pushes to 10ft from the east. Still light wind, but onshore. The energy is strong (2263 and 2539). It’s a marginal call with the tide.

Now, Wednesday the 8th of July – this is the standout window. Early morning is a gem. We’ve got 8ft of east swell with a 10-second period (2071 energy). Wind is light from the WSW, so it’s cross-off and clean. The description calls it excellent for experienced surfers – and at that size, it is. The Gap here is sheltered, and that offshore flow will make for some proper walls. For the experienced crew, this is the session to aim for.

Wednesday afternoon gets messy with a southerly change and stronger wind.

Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are blown out by strong southerly winds, and the swell jumps even bigger, up to 13ft on Thursday afternoon (3916 energy). That’s big, messy, and onshore. For paddle surfing this is a no-go. With that size and wind at a beach setup, the conditions would be more interesting for kite surfing.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th stay on the hefty side (8ft to 12ft) but with cross-winds and lumpy conditions. Not worth the effort.

We then get a quieter run from Monday the 13th into Wednesday the 15th. Swell backs off to 4ft to 6ft, and the wind goes light offshore or cross-off. The morning of Monday the 13th is clean (873 energy), and the morning of Tuesday the 14th is glassy with tiny swell. Nothing exciting, but surfable for the learner crew.

Then, Wednesday the 15th of July – another solid call. Morning has 4ft from the ESE with a 11-second period, and offshore wind from the NW at 12 mph. That’s a clean, lined-up little groundswell (412 energy). It won’t be big, but it’ll be fun and tidy. Better for the intermediate crowd.

The rest of that week and into the next sees the swell drop away, with mostly weak, short-period waves. From Thursday the 16th onward, we’re looking at 3ft to 5ft, often with poor wind or cross-shore chop. Nothing to get excited about. The run from the 18th to the 20th has almost no quality, with strong onshore winds and messy conditions.

So to sum up: Wednesday the 8th of July is the absolute standout for experienced surfers – solid east swell, clean offshore wind, plenty of energy. Wednesday the 15th is a second, smaller-scale option for clean, fun waves on a smaller board.

Signing off, Rusty.

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