Surf Forecasts:
Inner Cut surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NNW swell with 560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 9s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inner Cut over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the Cut.
It’s been a pretty quiet start to the outlook, and honestly, the first few days aren't worth paddling out for. The Inner Cut is a point break that’s known to be inconsistent, and this stretch shows why. We’ve got a long gap here with really nothing to get excited about. From Friday the 21st of August right through until Friday the 28th of August, it’s a whole lot of small, choppy, and messy. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the energy is weak. You’d be wasting your time.
Then, things finally look like they might turn around. The standout session is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. We’re looking at a solid 10ft groundswell out of the NNW, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is very strong at 1499. That’s a big dose of power for this spot. The wind is glassy, dead calm, which is a major plus. The water is 54°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. Now, this is a point break, and a long-period groundswell like this (8 seconds isn't super long, but it's a solid groundswell) will wrap in nicely here. The swell direction (NNW) is a bit off the optimum (NW), but with that size and clean conditions, it’s still going to be cracking. But listen, this is a big wave – over 8ft – so this is expert territory only. It’s not for the faint-hearted or beginners. The crowds are a possibility here, and with conditions like that, you can bet a few locals will be keen.
The rest of the weekend after that is a letdown. Saturday afternoon drops right off to a 4ft, and the wind swings around, making it messy again. Sunday the 30th of August is back to poor, small, and choppy with strong cross-onshore winds.
The following week, from the 31st of August right through to the 5th of September, is a write-off. Tiny swell, poor conditions, and periods of strong wind. The energy is in the single digits or low tens for most of it. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Saturday the 5th of September where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is only 2ft. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Nothing to mark on the calendar.
So, if you’re an experienced surfer, keep your eyes on that Saturday morning, the 29th of August. That’s the one real shot in this 16-day window. The rest is a flat, windy mess.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 6°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 15 | NNW 7 | NNW 15 | NNW 15 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 17 | NW 16 | NNW 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 7 | 36 | 163 | 402 | 240 | 73 | 91 | 16 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 4:11AM3.03m | 4:34PM3.07m | 5:30AM2.94m | 6:21PM3.05m | 6:49AM3.02m | 7:41PM3.22m | 7:49AM3.20m | 8:29PM3.45m | 8:36AM3.41m | 9:06PM3.69m | 9:17AM3.61m | 9:39PM3.91m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:52PM1.75m | 10:12AM1.67m | 11:30PM1.80m | 11:30AM1.74m | 00:46AM1.71m | 12:54PM1.66m | 1:42AM1.54m | 2:01PM1.43m | 2:26AM1.36m | 2:50PM1.15m | 3:02AM1.15m | 3:27PM0.88m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 7 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 4 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 13 | — | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 15 | N 5 | — | NW 16 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 6 | 7 | 4 | — | 402 | 240 | 73 | 29 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 2 | — | 10 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 15 | N 6 | — | — | NW 17 | N 18 | NW 15 | NNW 15 | NW 15 | NNW 15 | NNW 6 | NW 15 | NW 14 | NW 15 | — | NW 14 | NW 13 | — | NW 16 |
| kJ | 4 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 6 | 58 | 91 | 58 | 23 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | 7 | — | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 12 | — | — | NNW 7 | NNW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | N 17 | NW 12 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 4 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | W 3 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — | SSW 2 | N 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 36 | 163 | 926 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 54 | 118 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 0 | 118 | 2 | 358 | 124 | 2 | 68 | 101 | 101 | 101 | 101 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 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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