Surf Forecasts:
Ruby Bay surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 31 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, N swell with 577 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 31 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with N swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ruby Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ruby Bay in the next 16 days are 2.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ruby Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: Ruby Bay is a tough gig at the moment. This spot rarely breaks at the best of times, being a sheltered point break that needs a very specific north swell to even think about showing its face. We’re looking at a 16-day window where it’s mostly flat or offering up nothing you’d bother paddling for.
The first real glimmer of something happens on the morning of Friday, 31 July. We get a small NE swell pushing through at about 4ft, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s enough to bump the energy up to a moderate level (224) for a sheltered bay. The winds are glassy from the west too, so it’d be clean. That said, the overall wave comment says it’s still just surfable but very ordinary. This is the only time in the whole period where there’s even a chance of a wave.
After that, it’s back to a whole lot of nothing. You get a few tiny pulses of energy, but nothing with any height or period worth paddling for. The rest of August is just a dry spell, with days of flat water and glassy conditions but no surf. Any swell that does show is teeny, short period, and from the north – the exact opposite of what Ruby Bay needs. The water temp is sitting at about 53°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.
So, for the whole 16 days, the only window worth even a glance is that Friday morning (31 July). And even then, it’s not going to blow your mind. This is a spot that can go quiet for long stretches, and this is one of those times.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 3°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu afternoon, min 5°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 3 | NNW 14 | NNW 7 | NNW 13 | N 12 | N 7 | N 11 | N 7 | N 6 | NW 16 | NNW 4 | N 5 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 16 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 13 | N 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 46 | 75 | 382 | 224 | 0 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | on | off | off | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | off | off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:20PM3.44m | 8:27AM3.28m | 9:06PM3.61m | 9:14AM3.43m | 9:44PM3.76m | 9:55AM3.59m | 10:19PM3.89m | 10:33AM3.72m | 10:53PM4.00m | 11:11AM3.81m | 11:26PM4.08m | 11:48AM3.84m | 00:00AM4.12m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:26PM1.67m | 2:11AM1.58m | 2:24PM1.55m | 2:53AM1.45m | 3:15PM1.37m | 3:29AM1.31m | 3:58PM1.17m | 4:03AM1.18m | 4:34PM0.99m | 4:37AM1.06m | 5:07PM0.85m | 5:11AM0.95m | 5:38PM0.78m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | |  |  | |  |  |  | | | |
 | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — |
 | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 14 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | — | NW 15 | N 5 | NNE 6 | — | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 16 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | E 4 |
| kJ | 15 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 29 | 46 | — | 382 | 224 | 162 | 74 | 19 | 5 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | ENE 4 | NW 14 | NNW 13 | N 12 | NW 12 | N 11 | — | NW 11 | NW 11 | — | NW 14 | NW 18 | — | — | NW 18 | — | NNW 15 | NNW 14 | NNW 13 | N 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | — | 8 | 12 | — | — | 12 | — | 89 | 20 | 18 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 14 | NNW 14 | NW 10 | — | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | NW 16 | — | — | NW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | NW 12 |
| kJ | 21 | 20 | 4 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | — | — | N 6 | N 20 | NNW 8 | N 8 | SE 3 | SW 4 | — | S 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 75 | 7 | 534 | 161 | 4 | 9 | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 115 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 14 | 129 | 129 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 38 | 38 | 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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