Surf Forecasts:
Ruby Bay surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, NW swell with 65 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) 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 0.6m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, looking at Ruby Bay. I’ve got to tell you, it’s a rough stretch. This is a sheltered point that rarely breaks, and for the first week and a half, there’s not a wave worth paddling for. It’s a long, quiet run.
From now through the 19th of September, it’s flat. A few tiny bumps show up, but they never get above 1 ft, the period is short, and the combined wave energy barely hits 30. Just poor surf all around. You’d be wise to wait for the next forecast.
Then, on the 20th, there’s a spark. Sunday morning brings a 4 ft swell from the NNW, but it’s short-period windswell (5 seconds) and only 52 energy. Not worth it. But Sunday afternoon is the real deal. A solid 7 ft groundswell from the N, with an 8-second period, glassy conditions, and the energy jumps to 494. That’s a serious pulse. For a spot that’s usually asleep, this is the moment. Water temp is about normal for the time of year.
Monday the 21st still has some push – 5 ft from the N in the morning, glassy, with 311 energy. It’s surfable, but the quality is just okay. The southwest wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean, but it’s not as good as Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the onshore breeze ruins it.
After that, it drops off fast. The 22nd and 23rd show tiny leftovers – 3 ft and 2 ft – with poor conditions. The window closes quick.
If you’re only going to get wet once, make it Sunday afternoon, the 20th of September. That’s the best on offer, and for a spot that rarely breaks, it’s a real gift.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 3°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | NW 17 | NNW 16 | NNE 2 | NW 16 | NNW 17 | NNW 17 | NW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 10 | 25 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | glassy |
High Tide | 7:19AM3.38m | 8:17PM3.67m | 8:24AM3.62m | 9:03PM3.96m | 9:17AM3.86m | 9:44PM4.16m | 10:02AM4.05m | 10:21PM4.27m | 10:42AM4.16m | 10:57PM4.28m | 11:19AM4.19m | 11:32PM4.22m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:06AM1.29m | 1:28PM1.32m | 2:06AM1.00m | 2:31PM1.06m | 2:55AM0.74m | 3:19PM0.82m | 3:36AM0.56m | 3:59PM0.65m | 4:14AM0.47m | 4:34PM0.57m | 4:50AM0.49m | 5:06PM0.59m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 20 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 5 | N 5 | NW 19 | NW 18 | NW 17 | NNW 16 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 2 | 25 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 92 | 81 | 46 | 26 | 61 | 40 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | NW 21 | N 12 | N 8 | N 6 | NW 16 | NNW 20 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 5 | NW 12 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 17 | NNW 17 | NW 16 |
| kJ | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 37 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 28 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | N 14 | — | — | — | — | N 18 | NW 17 | NW 21 | E 5 | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | NW 11 |
| kJ | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 12 | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | NW 5 | — | — | SE 3 | SSW 2 | NNW 6 | WSW 2 | SSW 2 | NNE 2 | WSW 2 | WSW 2 | — | WSW 2 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 50 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 38 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 14 | 116 | 83 | 14 | 83 | 83 | 116 | 83 | 129 | 83 | 83 | 125 | 83 |
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 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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