Surf Forecasts:
Rabbit Island surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, NW swell with 59 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rabbit Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough outlook for Rabbit Island. The next week and a half is a story of waiting, with barely a ripple to get excited about.
For the first stretch, from Saturday the 18th of July right through to Wednesday the 30th of July, it’s a total write-off. We’re looking at a solid 12-day gap with no real surf on offer. The combined swell energy stays in the single digits, and even dips to zero many days. The wind is mostly light and often glassy, which is a tease because the ocean is just flat. You’ll get some tiny 0.3ft to 1.0ft pulses from the north and northwest, but the period is short and there’s just no push behind it. This is a quiet spell, and it’s normal for the area when the swell windows close up.
The only true standout, and the one that will wake you up, is coming on Friday the 31st of July. The morning shows a solid 8ft northwest swell hitting, with a 9-second period and combined energy of 828 (moderate wave energy). That’s a solid step up. The wind is dead calm, glassy – that’s a major positive. The afternoon gets even better, with the swell bumping up to 8ft from the north, a 10-second period, and combined energy rocketing to 1516 (strong wave energy). The wind stays glassy, turning super light. This is proper, punchy surf. That afternoon session is a proper expert call – the size is over 8ft, so it’s definitely not for the beginners. The swell direction from the north is a good match for the optimum swell direction for Rabbit Island, which is from the NNW. For experienced surfers, that’s a window to score.
The first two days of August (Saturday and Sunday) still have some surf, but the energy drops off quickly. Saturday morning holds a 5ft north swell (416 energy, moderate), still glassy, but the afternoon drops to 4ft and the "ordinary" description tells you the quality is going. Sunday morning is flat again.
So, for the whole 16-day window, the only true standout is the late morning and afternoon of Friday, the 31st of July. Don’t hold your breath for anything else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 5°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | NW 16 | NW 5 | N 7 | N 10 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | NE 5 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 5 | NW 4 | N 8 | N 7 | NW 5 | NW 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 38 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 00:27AM4.34m | 12:54PM4.08m | 1:09AM4.17m | 1:36PM3.95m | 1:51AM3.97m | 2:17PM3.79m | 2:36AM3.76m | 2:59PM3.61m | 3:23AM3.56m | 3:44PM3.43m | 4:16AM3.37m | 4:38PM3.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:23AM0.66m | 6:42PM0.79m | 7:05AM0.82m | 7:19PM0.95m | 7:48AM1.03m | 7:57PM1.16m | 8:33AM1.25m | 8:41PM1.39m | 9:23AM1.45m | 9:39PM1.61m | 10:19AM1.60m | 10:59PM1.76m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 6 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 8 |
Feels °C | 2 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 18 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NW 16 | ENE 5 | — | NE 5 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | N 3 | N 5 | — | — | NW 14 | NW 4 | NNW 5 |
| kJ | 10 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 4 | 13 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 18 | NW 16 | NW 4 | NW 15 | E 4 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | NW 5 | N 9 | NW 4 | N 8 | N 7 | NW 14 | N 13 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | — | N 7 | N 10 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | NW 14 | NW 14 | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 2 | — | NW 5 | SW 2 | SSW 2 | — | ESE 2 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | SSW 2 | — | — | — | NW 5 | NW 5 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 38 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 77 | 77 | 108 | 77 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 91 | 77 | 92 | 92 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - Tasman Bay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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