Surf Forecasts:
Rabbit Island surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, N swell with 82 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 0.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rabbit Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, switching over to feet and degrees for the crew that thinks that way.
So, Rabbit Island is looking starved. The first day you could even think about surfing is Tuesday the 11th of August. Before that, it’s a full stretch of nothing – about 9 days of flatness or tiny, useless bumps. The water’s sitting around 53°F, which is par for the course.
From August 2nd all the way through the 10th, it’s mostly flat. We’re talking waves under 0.3ft, with wave energy numbers in the single digits. You’d be floating on a lake. There are some glassy mornings, but no swell to go with it.
On Tuesday the 11th, we finally see something. A 4ft north swell, 8-second period, and the energy climbs to 164 – finally some moderate push. It’s glassy clean for the morning. The break is inconsistent, and the waves will be pretty ordinary, but it’s the only game in town. Perfect for a beginner trying to get wet, but not going to make anyone’s highlight reel.
Friday the 14th has a bit more energy, 3ft from the north-northeast with a longer 10-second period, giving us 172 in combined energy. It’s glassy, but that swell direction is a bit off the mark for Rabbit Island. It’ll be surfable, just not firing.
If you’re looking for a stand out, it’s that Tuesday the 11th just to break the drought, or maybe Friday the 14th for a touch more power. But honestly, it’s a two-week stretch where the waves barely get their feet wet. Keep the board in the car, but don’t rush.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 2°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Thu afternoon, min 3°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | N 6 | N 21 | N 8 | N 9 | NW 17 | NW 16 | NE 4 | NW 15 | — | — | N 13 | N 12 | N 12 | N 11 | N 11 | N 9 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 20 | N 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 72 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | off | glassy | on | off | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 12:25PM3.84m | 00:35AM4.10m | 1:02PM3.81m | 1:11AM4.02m | 1:39PM3.75m | 1:51AM3.89m | 2:18PM3.66m | 2:37AM3.72m | 3:01PM3.53m | 3:32AM3.55m | 3:56PM3.38m | 4:39AM3.42m | 5:21PM3.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:10PM0.79m | 6:22AM0.86m | 6:42PM0.87m | 7:00AM0.90m | 7:19PM1.00m | 7:40AM1.01m | 8:02PM1.17m | 8:27AM1.17m | 9:00PM1.36m | 9:24AM1.34m | 10:21PM1.49m | 10:36AM1.47m | 11:48PM1.47m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — |
 | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 6 | -1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | NW 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NE 4 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | N 12 | N 11 | N 10 | N 9 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 42 | 66 | 72 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 19 | NW 18 | NW 17 | NW 16 | S 3 | — | — | — | N 13 | N 12 | N 12 | — | N 11 | — | — | NW 19 | N 20 | NW 19 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 15 | 7 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | NW 19 | N 21 | N 8 | N 9 | NW 11 | — | NW 5 | NW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | — | SW 2 | WSW 3 | — | — | SW 2 | — | S 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 138 | 90 | 98 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 77 | 77 | 90 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 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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