
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 13s period, S swell with 9,829 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. 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 5.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming to Castlepoint - The Gap.
There’s a decent run of surf ahead, but it’s a mixed bag of conditions you’ll need to pick your moment for. The best of it won’t show up until the second week, so be patient.
Right now, Wednesday the 29th of July is the one to get on. The surf is already running at a solid 6 ft from the ESE with a nice long period of 13 seconds. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNW, keeping it clean. The water is sitting at 54°, right about normal for the time of year. The swell energy is moderate but solid (978). This is a quality window.
Thursday the 30th sees the swell drop a bit to 5 ft, and while the wind is still manageable, the quality dips. By Friday the 31st, a fresh offshore from the WNW picks up hard, dropping the swell to under 3 ft. It’s clean but small and weak (262). That strong offshore on Friday afternoon at 25 mph will make it tough to get into anything.
Now, the first weekend of August gets messy. Saturday the 1st brings a big spike of 10 ft from the SSW, but with a fresh cross-shore wind and rain, it’s lumpy and chaotic. The combined energy is huge (1815, then 2597), but the quality is poor for a sheltered spot like this. Sunday the 2nd is still big at 10 ft, but the wind backs off and turns cross-off. The swell direction is swinging around from the S, and the period holds at 12 seconds. It’s marginal, but there’ll be some clean ones if you’re willing to pick through the size. The break is sheltered from the ESE optimum, so this S groundswell might look a bit straight here.
The standout of the whole forecast comes on Monday the 3rd of August. The morning session is where it’s at. A clean 7 ft from the S, 11-second period, and a moderate offshore from the WNW. This is going to hold up nicely. The energy is strong (1020) and the conditions look damn good. The afternoon tries to push too big at 13 ft with a light cross-on, but the morning is the clear winner.
Tuesday the 4th of August is for experts only. The swell hits 16 ft from the S, with a long 13-second period. That’s a lot of water moving around. The offshore wind loves it, but for a beginner spot, this is way too big. The energy is extreme (9214). If you’re not experienced, stay out of the water.
The rest of that week and into the second week fades. Thursday the 5th to Saturday the 8th sees swell drop from 10 ft down to 6 ft, but the wind gets cross or cross-on, and conditions are lumpy. Sunday the 9th through Wednesday the 12th of August is a write-off. Gales and strong cross-shore winds over 28 mph. The swell jumps around with a mix of short-period ENE windswell. Not worth the drive. The energy stays moderate to strong.
Things finally clean up on Thursday the 13th of August. A nice 6 ft from the ENE, 10-second period, with a glassy offshore from the WNW. Light wind. This is a solid window to finish the run. Conditions are clean, and it’s a much better bet than the stormy days before.
Overall, the pick of the period is Monday the 3rd of August morning at Castlepoint - The Gap, with a strong 7 ft groundswell and clean offshore winds. The backup is this coming Wednesday morning the 29th of July, which is already here and delivering.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed morning, strong winds from the WNW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon morning, min 5°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | SE 15 | SSW 10 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
953 | 834 | 624 | 505 | 383 | 259 | 158 | 114 | 109 | 1569 | 2077 | 3610 | 2092 | 1452 | 858 | 934 | 4055 | 6689 | 9214 | 7370 | 4642 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:46PM1.21m | 5:20AM1.07m | 5:31PM1.18m | 6:07AM1.06m | 6:19PM1.17m | 6:55AM1.07m | 7:09PM1.17m | 7:42AM1.10m | 8:01PM1.17m | 8:30AM1.15m | 8:54PM1.20m | 9:16AM1.21m | 9:44PM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:35AM0.27m | 11:21PM0.28m | 11:21AM0.25m | 00:12AM0.26m | 12:07PM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 12:54PM0.21m | 1:48AM0.21m | 1:44PM0.19m | 2:34AM0.20m | 2:36PM0.18m | 3:20AM0.18m | 3:30PM0.16m | ||||||||
7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 16 | SSW 13 | SE 14 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 20 | S 12 | NE 13 | — | — | S 13 |
953 | 834 | 624 | 505 | 383 | 259 | 158 | 114 | 57 | 201 | 331 | 149 | 2092 | 1452 | 858 | 75 | 3050 | 7 | — | — | 4642 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | NE 7 | NE 8 | SE 15 | E 10 | SE 15 | E 10 | SE 13 | NE 15 | NE 15 | NE 14 | NE 13 | — | — | — | NE 12 |
20 | 42 | 229 | 121 | 77 | 34 | 64 | 46 | 109 | 33 | 178 | 8 | 61 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SSW 10 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | S 16 | SSW 14 | SE 15 | NE 7 | NE 18 | E 12 | NE 16 | NE 16 | ENE 15 | S 23 | NE 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 40 | 36 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 3 | N 3 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NE 5 | NW 3 | WNW 4 | WSW 4 | SSW 10 | S 11 | S 12 | — | — | NW 4 | S 11 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | — |
— | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 21 | 34 | 1569 | 2077 | 3610 | — | — | 20 | 934 | 4055 | 6689 | 9214 | 7370 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 16 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 55 | 74 | 143 | 183 | 135 | 228 | 102 | 76 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 167 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










