Surf Forecasts:
Ruby Bay surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 5s period, NW swell with 7 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 0.4m 5s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) 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 0.7m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here again, but this time in feet and miles per hour for the imperial crew.
Let’s be straight – Ruby Bay is a tough beat right now. It’s a sheltered point break that rarely breaks, and we’re looking at a long stretch of nothing. From Friday the 14th right through to Sunday the 23rd, the swell is either flat or barely a slosh, with heights never getting above 1ft. The combined energy is zero or single digits the whole time. For a spot that’s inconsistent, this is a pretty normal dry spell.
Mark your calendar for Monday the 24th of August. That’s the day the juice finally shows up. Morning brings a 6ft swell from the N, with a combined energy of 391 (moderate). The wind is light offshore from the SW, so it’ll be clean. By the afternoon, it’s even better – 6ft from the N, a 9-second period, and energy of 476 (still moderate). The wind stays gentle offshore from the SW. This is your one real window. It’s a week out, so keep an eye on it – promising but not set in stone.
After that, it fades fast. Tuesday the 25th drops to 2ft, and by Wednesday the 26th we’re back to tiny stuff. The rest of the month is weak, with a little blip on Friday the 28th afternoon with 4ft from the N, but conditions are just "surfable but very ordinary."
Water temp is 53°F, about 2°F cooler than average for this time of year. Nothing crazy, just a little chilly.
The move? Hit Monday the 24th. The N swell matches the optimum direction for this sheltered spot, and with offshore winds, it’ll be glassy. The size is beginner-friendly, and since it rarely breaks, you’ll have it mostly to yourself. Don’t sleep on it.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 2°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 3°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 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | NNW 16 | NW 15 | NE 4 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 17 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | NW 15 | N 14 | N 3 | NW 5 | N 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 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 | off | glassy | 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 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 8 |
Feels °C | 16 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 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 14 | NW 14 | — | NW 17 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 28 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 9 | 9 | — | 8 | 8 | — | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | — | — | NW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 14 | NW 5 | — | N 14 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 14 | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 16 | N 6 | NW 14 |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 2 | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SSE 3 | — | NE 4 | — | SSW 2 | — | SW 2 | SSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | WSW 2 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 233 | 83 | 83 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 |
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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