Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 2,123 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period with S 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. 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 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 9s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a real standout on Friday morning, August 21st. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm, and we’ve got a solid 6 ft south swell with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is strong at 1434. This is a sheltered spot, and with that kind of period, it’ll be lining up nicely, though it might break a little straight on the beach. Still, for a beginner-friendly break, this is as good as it gets. The afternoon holds up with 5 ft and clean conditions, but the wind swings a little cross-off, so Friday morning is your pick.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are a write-off. The swell drops right off and the wind howls offshore at 18 to 28 mph, which might sound good but it’s too strong, making it hard to paddle into the tiny waves. That’s a couple of dead days.
Then we get back into it on Monday morning, August 24th. The swell jumps back up to 6 ft from the SSW, with a moderate period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 1372. The wind is a gentle offshore from the west, so it’s clean and workable. Monday afternoon sees a bigger 8 ft swell with a longer 13-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore and light, so it’s a bit messy with some ripples. Still, there’s a lot of energy there (1786). Might be a bit much for beginners, but stronger surfers could find something.
Tuesday and Wednesday the 25th and 26th are pretty average. The swell drops to around 3-4 ft with moderate offshore winds, so it’s surfable but nothing special. The energy is moderate (344 and 631). Wednesday afternoon gets a bit of a cross-onshore bump, so it’s not great.
From Thursday the 27th through to the end of the month, we’re in a bit of a lull. Swell stays around 2 ft to 3 ft, and while the winds are mostly cross-off and clean, there’s just not enough size or energy to get excited about. The energy values are weak to moderate (183 to 493). Crowds are often an issue here, but with this much nothing on offer, that won’t be a problem.
Now, looking ahead to the end of the month and into early September, things start to look promising again. Sunday the 30th of August has a solid 6 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and moderate, so it’s a bit chopped. The afternoon gets a bigger 8 ft with an onshore breeze, so it’s not great. But then Monday the 31st of August morning is a real standout for experienced surfers. We’re talking 12 ft south swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is huge at 4542. The wind is glassy light, so it’ll be clean. This is big, powerful groundswell, and The Gap is sheltered, so it should focus the energy. This is the one for the more advanced crew. The afternoon stays at 8 ft but gets a cross-on breeze, so it’s not as clean.
Tuesday the 1st of September morning is also a beauty: 6 ft south swell, glassy conditions, and strong energy at 1326. That’s a great option for intermediate surfers looking for clean, manageable waves. The rest of that week into early September drops off again, with smaller swells and moderate winds, so nothing worth rushing out for.
So, to sum it up: Friday morning August 21st is the best early call for clean, fun waves. For the big stuff, Monday morning August 31st is the one for experienced surfers. There’s a lot of average days in between, but those two sessions are the real standouts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, strong winds from the WNW by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Mon morning, strong winds from the WNW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 14 | S 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
839 | 1384 | 905 | 480 | 305 | 233 | 141 | 50 | 34 | 52 | 737 | 1752 | 730 | 326 | 250 | 429 | 610 | 513 | 223 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:28PM1.26m | 11:52AM1.31m | 00:11AM1.22m | 12:37PM1.28m | 00:54AM1.18m | 1:20PM1.26m | 1:39AM1.14m | 2:01PM1.24m | 2:24AM1.10m | 2:42PM1.22m | 3:09AM1.08m | 3:24PM1.20m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:43AM0.20m | 6:17PM0.18m | 6:24AM0.22m | 6:59PM0.20m | 7:03AM0.24m | 7:40PM0.21m | 7:42AM0.24m | 8:20PM0.21m | 8:22AM0.24m | 9:01PM0.22m | 9:06AM0.23m | 9:45PM0.23m | |||||||
— | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NE 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 14 | S 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 |
839 | 1384 | 905 | 480 | 305 | 233 | 141 | 50 | 16 | 52 | 737 | 1752 | 730 | 326 | 250 | 429 | 610 | 513 | 223 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | E 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | S 17 |
262 | 26 | 64 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 602 | 34 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 95 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 11 | — | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 12 | — | NE 5 | S 10 | NE 7 | ESE 13 | — | — | — | SE 15 | NE 5 | E 11 | NE 10 | ESE 13 |
62 | 24 | — | 6 | 5 | 5 | — | 1 | 7 | 7 | 33 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | NNW 3 | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | NW 2 | WNW 2 | WNW 2 | — | NW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 4 |
— | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 37 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 9 | 8 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 16 | 135 | 55 | 192 | 143 | 258 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 16 | 111 | 55 |
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.











