
Surf Forecasts:
Castlepoint - The Gap surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SE swell with 4,183 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SSW 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Castlepoint - The Gap in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Castlepoint - The Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your wettie, let's talk surf.
We've only got one break on the radar here for the next couple of weeks: Castlepoint - The Gap. The short-term is pretty grim, to be honest. The water’s sitting at about 55°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing crazy there, but things are flat and messy for a while. There's a big gap with nothing worth paddling out for from Wednesday the 22nd right through until Sunday the 26th of July. After that, keep an eye on the charts, because a proper pulse of energy is on the way.
For the first stand-out, you’re looking at Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning kicks off with a thumping 12ft south-east swell, but with a cross-off shore wind, it's still manageable for the experienced crew. Then, things get magic. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, the swell settles a touch to 10ft from the south-east with a long 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and it’s gonna march right into this sheltered spot. Excellent conditions for those who know what they're doing. It’s going to be a bit too meaty for beginners, but if you've got the skills, this is the session to circle.
Then we roll into Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning has a clean 8ft swell from the ESE with a solid 13-second period and a nice offshore breeze. It’s still in the expert range for size, so the crowd factor at The Gap (which can get "often" busy) might actually spread out a bit. This is another really good window. The swell energy is still strong and the offshore wind will be a dream. The afternoon holds similar size but the period drops slightly.
After that, the consistency fades into a mess of strong winds and lumpy seas for the rest of the first week of August. There is a potential looker on Tuesday the 4th of August, with a 7ft easterly swell and very light wind, but that’s a bit far out – promising, but less certain. If it cleans up, it could be fun for the intermediates and up.
Overall, don’t bother with the next few days. Wait for that last week of July. Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th are where it's at.
Stay stoked,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 10°C on Sat morning, min 4°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 9 | NE 5 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | E 11 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | SSE 12 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
248 | 350 | 123 | 83 | 50 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 155 | 103 | 121 | 643 | 284 | 292 | 499 | 854 | 1280 | 2946 | 4183 | 3558 | 2718 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 11:36AM1.35m | 00:01AM1.29m | 12:26PM1.33m | 00:46AM1.26m | 1:14PM1.32m | 1:32AM1.22m | 1:59PM1.30m | 2:19AM1.18m | 2:41PM1.29m | 3:05AM1.14m | 3:22PM1.26m | 3:50AM1.11m | 4:03PM1.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:00PM0.13m | 6:15AM0.15m | 6:48PM0.18m | 6:58AM0.21m | 7:34PM0.22m | 7:39AM0.25m | 8:18PM0.25m | 8:21AM0.28m | 9:02PM0.27m | 9:04AM0.29m | 9:46PM0.28m | 9:49AM0.29m | 10:32PM0.29m | ||||||||
7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
— | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | NE 4 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 11 | S 8 | SE 14 | SE 14 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 14 | SSE 12 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 |
248 | 350 | 123 | 83 | 50 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 76 | 103 | 121 | 258 | 214 | 191 | 362 | 432 | 1280 | 2239 | 4183 | 3558 | 2718 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | ESE 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | ENE 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 8 | SSW 8 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | — | ESE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSE 8 |
112 | 22 | 73 | 40 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 46 | 39 | 128 | 110 | 116 | 465 | 854 | — | 1513 | 47 | 20 | 167 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | E 14 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | NE 4 | SSW 9 | ESE 11 | SW 8 | S 8 | SE 13 | SE 17 | E 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | — | — | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 |
22 | 4 | 26 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 106 | 116 | 44 | 40 | 37 | 18 | — | — | 46 | 60 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | NNW 3 | N 3 | NE 5 | NE 7 | — | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | 21 | 155 | — | 108 | 643 | 284 | 292 | 499 | 706 | 639 | 2946 | 1546 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 194 | 245 | 244 | 28 | 66 | 169 | 0 | 1 | 102 | 1 | 99 | 146 | 135 | 88 | 0 | 0 |
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.










