Inner Cut Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.26° S 173.26° E

Inner Cut Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Inner Cut sea temperature is
11.9° C
0.7° 

Inner Cut surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Inner Cut surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, N swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, NNE swell with 220 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period with N 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 6s period. 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 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Fri 24th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 6s
Best Surf12PM (Fri 24th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 6s
Most Powerful 6PM (Fri 24th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inner Cut over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Cut. Gotta be straight with you – this is a bit of a lean run for the next couple of weeks. There’s a long, quiet gap before anything really gets going, so patience is the name of the game.

The first week is a write-off, honestly. From Saturday the 18th of July right through to the morning of Wednesday the 29th, we’re looking at near-zero swell. It’s mostly flat with tiny dribbles of 0.3ft to 2ft from the north-west. The wind’s all over the place, and the combined energy is barely a whisper (values from 0 to 23). Not a single wave worth paddling for. You’d be better off cleaning the wax off your board or just going for a walk.

Then, on Wednesday the 29th of July, there’s a tiny pulse – 3ft from the north-west, but it’s still only giving a combined energy of 79. It’s surfable, but ordinary. Not worth getting excited about. Thursday the 30th is similar, with a bit of glassy 3ft to 3ft from the north-northwest, but the energy is still weak (41 to 83). It’s clean, but the waves are just too small to have any grunt.

Now, here’s the one bright spot. Friday the 31st of July is the standout. Inner Cut (The-Cut-Nelson-Harbour) finally wakes up. By Friday morning, we’ve got a solid 8ft groundswell from the north, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 828 – that’s moderate wave energy, and it’s building. Friday afternoon gets even better: 8ft from the north, period stretching to 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1516. That’s strong energy. The wind is glassy – dead calm – and the waves will be clean. This is legit, but heads up: at 8ft, this is expert territory. The long period (10 seconds) means it’ll punch through, but at a beach setup like this, it might break a bit straight. Still, for the experienced crew, this is the best on offer. It’s a bit of a crowd pleaser though, so expect some company.

Saturday the 1st of August backs off a notch. Morning sees 5ft from the north, still glassy, with energy at 589. That’s much more manageable for intermediate surfers. The afternoon drops to 4ft, still glassy, but the energy is down to 381. It’s good, clean fun, but not a standout.

Sunday the 2nd of August fades out with a 2ft north swell and offshore wind, but the energy is low (71) and it’s more of a fizzle than a finish.

So, the call is: a long, flat wait until the end of July, then a serious spike on Friday the 31st for the big-wave hunters. The rest is small and forgettable. Water temperature? It’s just your average winter water for this spot, nothing unusual.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
NW
16
0.2
NNW
4
0.2
NNW
5
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
11
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
9
0.1
N
8
0.1
N
8
0.1
N
7
0.1
N
7
0.5
NNW
4
0.6
N
5
1.2
N
6
0.8
N
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
0
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
10
17
109
57
Wind (km/h)
15
SSW
10
WNW
20
SW
5
S
5
N
10
SE
10
SSE
5
N
5
SSE
5
SSW
0
NE
10
SSW
10
S
10
NNE
5
S
5
SSW
5
N
5
S
0
SSW
5
SW
15
SSW
Wind State
cross-off
on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
off
off
glassy
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross
cross-off
High Tide
12:37PM4.12m
00:52AM4.23m
1:19PM3.99m
1:34AM4.01m
2:00PM3.82m
2:19AM3.79m
2:42PM3.63m
3:06AM3.57m
3:27PM3.44m
3:59AM3.37m
4:21PM3.29m
5:00AM3.22m
5:32PM3.21m
Low Tide
6:35PM0.64m
6:58AM0.67m
7:12PM0.81m
7:41AM0.89m
7:50PM1.02m
8:26AM1.12m
8:34PM1.27m
9:16AM1.33m
9:32PM1.51m
10:12AM1.49m
10:52PM1.66m
11:13AM1.59m
00:09AM1.68m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:47
7:46
7:45
7:45
7:43
7:43
7:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
 mm
1
Temp °C
12
13
10
13
12
10
11
12
8
9
10
8
12
11
8
10
10
8
10
11
8
Feels °C
8
11
5
11
10
8
9
10
5
7
9
6
10
8
5
8
8
6
8
9
3
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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