Castlepoint - The Gap Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Castlepoint – The Gap over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there are a couple of bright spots to get keen on.

The first few days are pretty quiet. Saturday morning (29 August) kicks off with a tiny 3.3 ft S swell at 11 seconds, and a combined energy of 310 – pretty weak. The wind is a fresh 35 km/h offshore from the NW, so it’s clean, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about. That pattern hangs around through Sunday (30 August), with the swell dropping to 1.6 ft and the energy falling to 120. It’s all clean but pretty ordinary. The water temp is sitting at 53.6°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday morning (31 August) is where things start to wake up. The swell jumps to 7.5 ft from the S with a 12-second period and the combined energy rockets to 1546 – moderate to strong energy now. The wind is a moderate 20 km/h offshore from the WNW, so it’s clean. This is a solid option, especially for surfers who can handle chest-to-head-high waves. The swell is over 5 ft but under 8 ft, so it’s still okay for intermediate surfers, but beginners might find it a bit much. That pulse holds into the afternoon, with 7.9 ft and even more energy (1687), though the wind picks up to a fresh 35 km/h, so the early morning is the better call.

Then things get a bit gnarly. Tuesday (1 September) sees the swell push up to 11.5 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period and massive energy at 5675 – that’s strong. But the wind swings to a cross-off from the SW at 30 km/h, and the write-up flags marginal conditions. At 11.5 ft, this is expert territory only – over 8 ft, so only for the experienced crew. The wave quality is questionable, so unless you’re a charger looking for a challenge, you might sit this one out.

The standout window is Wednesday (2 September). Morning brings a clean 9.8 ft swell from the S with a 13-second period, offshore wind from the WNW at 25 km/h, and energy at 3373 – strong and clean. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The afternoon gets even better: same size, same wind, but the period stretches to 17 seconds – that’s very long-period groundswell. The energy pushes to 4975. This is the best on offer. You’ll get well-shaped, powerful waves, but at 9.8 ft it’s still for experts only. That long period is magic at a reef or point, and The Gap is a sheltered spot, so it should handle it well. Expect long lulls between sets, making the paddle out easier.

Thursday (3 September) drops back to 5.2 ft with 13-second period and energy at 891 – still clean offshore wind, but the report calls it marginal, likely due to tide or swell size. Friday (4 September) fades into small 3 ft swells with low energy (213), not worth rousing for.

Then Saturday (5 September) brings another pulse: 7.2 ft from the S at 10 seconds, clean offshore NW wind at 20 km/h, and energy at 1031. This is a very solid option – solid head-high waves with good shape. The period is shorter (10 seconds), so more frequent sets, and it’s under the 8 ft threshold, so experienced intermediates can have a crack too. The morning is the pick.

The second week gets patchy. Sunday (6 September) drops to small 2 ft, and Monday (7 September) has a glassy morning with 1.6 ft and a period of 18 seconds – very long period but tiny, so not much to work with. The 18-second period means the small waves will be clean and lined up if they break, but it’s a long wait between sets for not much reward. That glassy condition is a treat, though.

Tuesday (8 September) sees a 5.2 ft NE swell with a short 7-second period and 402 energy – that’s a windswell, messy, not worth it. Wednesday (9 September) is poor all around.

Now, Thursday (10 September) is a bit of an anomaly. The forecast shows a massive 14.8 ft S swell at 14 seconds with energy at 7752 in the morning and 8619 in the afternoon – that’s very strong energy. But the report explicitly states the swell is too big for this

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