Surf Forecasts:
Inner Cut surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, N swell with 567 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inner Cut this week:
The surf forecast for Inner Cut over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Inner Cut in the next 16 days are 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inner Cut over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Cut.
Honestly, mate, it’s a tough stretch. The Inner Cut (Nelson Harbour) is a point break that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and this 16-day window is pretty much a write-off. There’s no surf worth paddling out for. The forecast shows a long, dry spell with nothing but puny swells and messy conditions. We’re talking about days and days of flat, weak energy, with the combined swell energy barely ticking over – mostly in the single digits or low double digits, like 18 or 31, which is just a whisper. The only time the energy kicks up is on Friday, August 28th, when we get a 7ft swell from the north with a combined energy of 567, but that’s a total no-go. It’s blown out by a strong cross-onshore wind at 25 mph, with heavy rain. That’s not surf; that’s a washing machine for experts only, and even then it’d be ugly. The rest of the run is tiny dribble – 0.7ft to 3ft – with short periods and mixed-up winds. There’s a glassy morning here and there, like August 27th, but the swell is just 1ft with a 4-second period, no push. Even the long-period 15-second swells on the 24th and 25th are too small to do anything with, and they’re coming from the NNW, which is not the optimum direction for this spot (it wants NW). The water temp is about average for the time of year, no big anomaly to report. The bottom line: there are no good surf options in the entire 16-day window. It’s a blank run, and for this inconsistent spot, that’s pretty normal. Don’t hold your breath; forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a dead zone.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the NNE by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | NNW 15 | NNW 7 | NNW 15 | NNW 15 | SW 3 | W 3 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 4 | N 17 | NNW 4 | N 5 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 80 | 89 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 15 | 4 | 29 | 12 | 6 | 19 | 54 | 567 | 356 | 124 | 41 | 25 | 9 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:49AM3.02m | 7:41PM3.22m | 7:49AM3.20m | 8:29PM3.45m | 8:36AM3.41m | 9:06PM3.69m | 9:17AM3.61m | 9:39PM3.91m | 9:56AM3.79m | 10:12PM4.10m | 10:34AM3.92m | 10:44PM4.23m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:46AM1.71m | 12:54PM1.66m | 1:42AM1.54m | 2:01PM1.43m | 2:26AM1.36m | 2:50PM1.15m | 3:02AM1.15m | 3:27PM0.88m | 3:37AM0.93m | 4:01PM0.66m | 4:10AM0.73m | 4:32PM0.52m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | |  | |  | |  | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 12 | 15 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 9 |
Feels °C | 5 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 14 | NNW 5 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | N 21 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 80 | 19 | 18 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 124 | 41 | 9 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 14 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 15 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | N 13 | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | NW 10 | NNW 7 |
| kJ | 78 | 89 | 57 | 23 | 23 | 9 | 33 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 14 | — | — | NNW 6 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 21 | NW 19 |
| kJ | 96 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | WSW 2 | NW 7 | WSW 2 | — | SW 3 | W 3 | WSW 2 | NW 5 | — | — | NNW 4 | N 5 | N 8 | N 8 | — | WSW 2 | N 7 | — |
| kJ | 15 | 1 | 71 | 1 | — | 2 | 15 | 1 | 29 | — | — | 19 | 54 | 567 | 356 | — | 1 | 25 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 113 | 2 | 68 | 68 | 101 | 101 | 101 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 102 | 133 | 102 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 102 |
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 Inner Cut 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 Inner Cut Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Inner Cut provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Inner Cut can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Inner Cut 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 (Inner Cut) 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 Inner Cut 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 Inner Cut, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nelson - Tasman Bay, consider staying in Nelson which is 2 km (1 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Blenheim which is 64 km (40 miles) away
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