Surf Forecasts:
Ruby Bay surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, N swell with 117 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 1.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Ruby Bay is pretty bleak across the entire 16-day window. This is one of those rare stretches where the ocean just isn't cooperating, so if you're jonesing for a wave, you might want to look at other plans.
The whole period gets off to a flat start and never really recovers. We're looking at a solid two-week gap with absolutely nothing to get excited about. The water is sitting at 53°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you'll want a thick suit if you're even thinking about a paddle.
Now, there is a tiny glimmer, but it's a long way off. On Thursday the 27th of August, we finally see some life. The morning brings in a 5ft swell from the NNW with a short period of 5 seconds, giving us moderate wave energy (106). The wind is glassy, which is a huge plus for clean conditions, but this is a sheltered, rarely-breaking point break, and that swell direction from the NNW is completely opposite to what Ruby Bay likes (N). It's going to be about as exciting as watching paint dry. By the afternoon, the wind shifts to a light offshore from the SW at 6 mph, keeping it clean, with the same 5ft from the N and slightly stronger energy (158). Still, for a spot that only rarely works, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Heading into Friday the 28th, the morning has a 3ft swell from the N at 8 seconds (182 energy) with a clean offshore breeze, but again, the direction is all wrong for this break. It's basically the same story through the weekend and into the end of the month – tiny, weak pulses of swell with no quality. There is zero standout surf in this forecast, so save your energy and wait for a better window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 1°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 16 | NE 5 | NE 4 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 15 | NW 18 | NW 17 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | N 14 | N 16 | N 16 | N 15 | N 7 | N 21 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | off | off | on | off | off | glassy | off | glassy | on | off | off | on | glassy | off | cross-on | off | glassy | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 4:28AM3.05m | 4:51PM3.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:19AM1.77m | 11:37PM1.89m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | E 3 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 17 | NW 16 | — | NW 4 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | — |
| kJ | 25 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | — | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 52 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 15 | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | NW 16 | NW 15 | — | N 14 | N 16 | N 16 | N 15 | N 7 | N 21 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 23 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 8 | — | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 5 | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | SSE 3 | S 3 | SSW 2 | — | — | — | — | SW 2 | SSW 2 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | NNW 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 241 | 163 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 85 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 88 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 132 |
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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