Surf Forecasts:
Rabbit Island surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, NW swell with 49 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rabbit Island this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Rabbit Island in the next 16 days are 0.9m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rabbit Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you straight up, we’re looking at a pretty grim stretch ahead for Rabbit Island. The next week and a half is basically a write-off. From now through Friday the 22nd of August, there’s just nothing doing – hardly a ripple. You’re looking at about a 7-day gap of flat, poor surf conditions. The water is sitting at 53°F, which is just about normal for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s normal.
Now, a bit of a pulse shows up on the radar late on the 22nd. By Saturday afternoon, the 23rd of August, things get interesting for a moment. The swell builds to 5 ft from the north, with a period of 7 seconds. That’s a lot of energy for this stretch – the combined energy hits 179 (moderate wave energy). But the catch is the conditions are just “very ordinary.” It’s glassy, which is a major positive, and the wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." Given the northwest direction and the beach setup, this might actually look more fun for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. It’s not a standout for the standard stick.
After that little bump, it drops straight back off. Monday the 24th has a bit of 3 ft north swell, but the wind is onshore in the afternoon, killing any chance of a decent wave. The rest of the month into the end of August is basically flat again, with a few tiny pulses that just aren’t enough. A couple of those later pulses have very long periods (19 seconds), but with a swell height of just 0.3 ft, it’s not doing anything for you.
So, the harsh truth is there are no standout days in this 16-day window. The one small glimmer on the 23rd is too compromised to recommend with any excitement. This is what happens here – a blank run like this is pretty normal for the area. Keep the board waxed, though; it won't stay this poor forever.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 2°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 7 | N 7 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | NNW 16 | NW 15 | NE 4 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 15 | NW 17 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | NNW 3 | N 14 | N 16 | N 4 | N 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | on | off | off | glassy | off | glassy | on | off | glassy | on | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:46AM4.21m | 00:01AM4.32m | 12:24PM4.15m | 00:38AM4.17m | 1:00PM4.02m | 1:15AM3.98m | 1:36PM3.85m | 1:54AM3.75m | 2:12PM3.65m | 2:35AM3.50m | 2:52PM3.45m | 3:25AM3.25m | 3:40PM3.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:37PM0.60m | 5:54AM0.57m | 6:10PM0.70m | 6:30AM0.73m | 6:41PM0.86m | 7:07AM0.95m | 7:14PM1.09m | 7:46AM1.17m | 7:51PM1.36m | 8:28AM1.40m | 8:40PM1.63m | 9:18AM1.61m | 9:59PM1.84m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | — | — | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 17 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | NNW 16 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | — | NW 17 | NW 16 | — | NW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | — | 11 | 10 | — | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | NW 16 | — | — | N 14 | — | NW 4 | N 15 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 10 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 16 | N 6 | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 3 | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | — | WSW 2 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 90 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 90 | 134 | 77 | 77 | 170 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 77 | 90 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - Tasman Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rabbit Island surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Rabbit Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rabbit Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rabbit Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rabbit Island 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 (Rabbit Island) 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 Rabbit Island 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 Nelson - Tasman Bay? If you are looking for accommodation near Rabbit Island, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nelson - Tasman Bay, consider staying in Nelson which is 11 km (7 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Blenheim which is 73 km (45 miles) away
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