Surf Forecasts:
Inner Cut surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, NW swell with 89 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inner Cut this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Inner Cut in the next 16 days are 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inner Cut over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surf is gonna be real quiet for a while, so let's get into it.
Right off the bat, things are flat. We're looking at a blank stretch that runs from now until August 27th. For over a week and a half, there’s basically nothing on the cards. The swell energy is almost non-existent, and when we do see a little bump, the wind is all over the shop, making a mess of things. You'd be lucky to find a ripple, let alone a wave. It’s a tough run for sure, but that’s the nature of this stretch of coast sometimes.
Then, on Friday, August 28th, things finally wake up. The morning is the standout. We’ve got a new swell pushing in from the NNE, around 5ft with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is solid too, coming in at 523 on the scale, which is right up there. And the wind? Glassy. Not a breath of it. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The Inner Cut (Nelson Harbour) is the spot. It's a point break that's fairly exposed to the swell, and while it's inconsistent, when it lines up like this it’s worth the wait. The water temp is sitting at 53°, which is about average for this time of year, so don't forget the booties. This is your window. The afternoon on that same day will be smaller and the wind will turn a bit cross-on, so get on it early.
After that, the surf fades back out quickly. Saturday the 29th has some smaller waist-high stuff with a bit of a cross-shore breeze, and Sunday the 30th drops off to near-flat again. Nothing really worth shouting about to close out the period.
So, to sum it up: hold tight for over a week, then the Friday morning of the 28th is your one and only real shot. It’s a promising, but long-range call, so don't book the day off just yet, but definitely keep an eye on it.
That's it from me.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 3°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | NNW 16 | NW 15 | NE 4 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 18 | SW 2 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | N 3 | N 14 | N 16 | N 16 | N 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:44PM4.38m | 12:07PM4.20m | 00:21AM4.22m | 12:43PM4.06m | 00:58AM4.02m | 1:19PM3.88m | 1:37AM3.78m | 1:55PM3.67m | 2:18AM3.51m | 2:35PM3.45m | 3:08AM3.25m | 3:23PM3.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:30PM0.44m | 5:47AM0.40m | 6:03PM0.54m | 6:23AM0.57m | 6:34PM0.71m | 7:00AM0.80m | 7:07PM0.95m | 7:39AM1.04m | 7:44PM1.24m | 8:21AM1.28m | 8:33PM1.52m | 9:11AM1.50m | 9:52PM1.75m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 9 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 16 | NNW 15 | ENE 4 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 17 | NW 16 | — | — | NW 15 | N 4 | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 4 | — | — | NNW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 16 | NW 15 | — | NW 4 | N 16 | N 16 | N 15 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 8 | — | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | N 14 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 3 | — | NE 4 | — | SSW 2 | — | SW 2 | SW 2 | — | — | — | N 3 | SW 2 | SW 3 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 96 | 102 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 113 | 68 | 68 | 178 | 97 | 94 | 94 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 101 | 68 |
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 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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