Surf Forecasts:
Rabbit Island surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, NW swell with 90 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 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rabbit Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break this down for you. The whole 16-day stretch for Rabbit Island is a lean one. From the start, we’re looking at a long, flat spell that runs right through to the end of August and into the first few days of September. There’s a lot of glassy water with nothing to ride, just tiny little bumps that won’t get you anywhere.
The first real chance of a wave shows up on Thursday, September 4th. That morning, we’ve got a north swell coming in at 5ft, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is moderate at 283 (moderate). The wind is light from the SSW and glassy, so the surf should be clean. This is the best looking window in the whole forecast, but it’s still a long way out, so don’t book the day off just yet. The water temp is around 53°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so a spring suit will do.
Rabbit Island is a beginner-friendly spot that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks, so this kind of flat run isn’t totally unusual. The swell is coming from the north, which is a bit off their optimum from the NNW, but the glassy conditions will help. The Thursday afternoon has a similar 5ft north swell with 9 seconds and onshore wind, so the morning is definitely the pick.
So, to put it simply: be patient. The only real session worth chasing is the morning of Thursday, September 4th. Before that, it’s a lot of flat water and waiting. Forecasts can change, but right now, that’s your one shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 15 | NW 15 | N 14 | N 16 | N 16 | N 15 | N 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 9 | N 18 | NW 12 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 15 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 6 | N 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 90 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 33 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:52PM3.45m | 3:25AM3.25m | 3:40PM3.24m | 4:28AM3.05m | 4:51PM3.08m | 5:47AM2.97m | 6:38PM3.06m | 7:06AM3.04m | 7:58PM3.23m | 8:06AM3.21m | 8:46PM3.45m | 8:53AM3.41m | 9:23PM3.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:40PM1.63m | 9:18AM1.61m | 9:59PM1.84m | 10:19AM1.77m | 11:37PM1.89m | 11:37AM1.83m | 00:53AM1.80m | 1:01PM1.75m | 1:49AM1.65m | 2:08PM1.54m | 2:33AM1.47m | 2:57PM1.28m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  |  |  | |
 | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 4 | — | N 16 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | N 9 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 15 | NW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | N 6 |
| kJ | 8 | 8 | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 7 | — | — | 339 | 211 | 42 | 28 | 17 | 22 | 7 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 33 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 14 | N 16 | — | N 15 | N 6 | — | — | NW 17 | N 18 | NNW 9 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 14 |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | 5 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 11 | 6 | 26 | 93 | 59 | 2 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — | NNW 7 | N 7 | — | — | — | — | N 19 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 2 | — | — | WSW 3 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 2 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — | NW 5 | NNW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 16 | 201 | 905 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 51 | 90 | — | 41 | 202 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 77 | 136 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 8 | 8 | 118 | 118 | 28 | 77 | 77 | 92 | 108 | 77 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
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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