
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 14s period, S swell with 17,270 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period with SE 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 13s. 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 7.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 1.2m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 23ft (7.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed morning, min 4°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the NW on Wed night, strong winds from the S by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | S 8 | S 13 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
431 | 732 | 878 | 1609 | 1648 | 1575 | 1306 | 953 | 820 | 624 | 478 | 383 | 254 | 209 | 151 | 227 | 2323 | 1604 | 4224 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | ||||||
— | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 10 | 6 | 4 |
Temp °C | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Feels °C | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | -1 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | E 11 | S 8 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 |
160 | 732 | 878 | 1609 | 1648 | 1575 | 1306 | 953 | 820 | 624 | 478 | 383 | 254 | 73 | 151 | 227 | 306 | 266 | 198 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | S 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | NE 8 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 |
431 | 171 | 26 | 56 | 65 | 63 | 40 | 20 | 42 | 224 | 121 | 118 | 34 | 209 | 65 | 89 | 59 | 34 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | SSW 10 | — | NE 5 | — | S 16 | SSW 14 | SE 15 | S 16 | NE 7 | NE 17 | NE 16 |
37 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 11 | — | 8 | — | 20 | 40 | 79 | 132 | 2 | 12 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNE 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NNE 6 | NW 4 | SW 4 | — | S 13 | SSW 9 | S 11 |
72 | 371 | 285 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 10 | 17 | — | 2323 | 1604 | 4224 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 76 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 135 | 135 | 135 | 102 | 292 |
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.










