Surf Forecasts:
Ruby Bay surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, NNW swell with 34 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ruby Bay this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Ruby Bay in the next 16 days are 0.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days at Ruby Bay are a write-off. There’s not a single session worth paddling out for. The earliest we see any swell is a tiny pulse of swell on the morning of the 19th, but it’s only 0.3 ft from the north and that’s basically a lake. The whole window is plagued by “poor surf conditions” across every single time slot.
Ruby Bay is a point break that rarely breaks, and sadly that’s exactly what we’re looking at. The combined swell energy barely cracks 2 (weak) on the 19th and never gets into a range that’s even worth a mention. The water temp is a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 52°.
The oddity is the morning of the 24th – a brief pulse of 3 ft from the NNW with a short period of 6 seconds, and combined energy of 34 (still weak). It’s glassy, but the period is too short and the direction is wrong for optimum – the break wants swell from the north. After that, it’s mostly flat again with just a few tiny scraps of 1 ft or 1 ft that are barely moving.
Even the last day of the forecast, July 31st, shows a 3 ft north swell with an 8-second period and combined energy of 98 (still weak), but it’s an onshore wind and the direction is still not ideal. For a break that’s sheltered and inconsistent, this is a normal blank run. The occasional clean, glassy morning might look nice, but there’s nothing to ride. Don’t bother waxing up – the only thing working here is the breeze.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 5°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 18 | NW 18 | N 10 | N 11 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 13 | N 10 | N 10 | N 12 | N 8 | — | — | N 15 | NW 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | on | glassy | off | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 12:09PM4.15m | 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 | 6:03PM0.69m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
Feels °C | 10 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 15 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 18 | NNW 5 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | N 10 | N 10 | E 3 | NE 4 | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | NW 4 |
| kJ | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 5 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 18 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 4 | NW 15 | NW 14 | N 10 | N 10 | NE 4 | N 6 | — | N 8 | — | — | N 15 | N 14 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 8 | — | WNW 7 | N 10 | N 11 | N 11 | — | — | NW 14 | N 13 | N 10 | N 10 | N 12 | — | — | — | N 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 2 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SW 3 | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | — | WSW 2 | — | — | — | NW 4 | NW 5 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 22 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 125 | 83 | 83 | 115 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 88 | 85 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 115 |
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 Ruby Bay 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 Ruby Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ruby Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ruby Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ruby Bay 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 (Ruby Bay) 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 Ruby Bay 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 Ruby Bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nelson - Tasman Bay, consider staying in Nelson which is 17 km (11 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Blenheim which is 80 km (50 miles) away
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