Surf Forecasts:
Manly surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, E swell with 305 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Manly this week:
The surf forecast for Manly over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Manly in the next 16 days are 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Manly over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here.
Look, the next two and a half weeks are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a long slow patch before the energy really turns on. For the first week, it’s mostly small, messy, and not worth the paddle. Then, late in the month, the ocean wakes up. The standout is the morning of Thursday, August 27th, at Manly. That has the real potential to be the session you remember.
The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch under a degree cooler than average for this time of year, so pretty standard. Nothing wild.
Starting off now, from Wednesday the 19th through to Sunday the 24th, it’s pretty grim. The waves are small, usually under 3 feet, and the winds are all over the shop – cross-onshore, onshore, not clean. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy readings mostly under 145. Just a lot of grovelly, choppy conditions. Not your time.
Monday the 25th has a spike to 5 feet from the NE, but with a period of only 7 seconds, it’s just a messy windswell. The afternoon goes glassy and drops to 4 feet, which is surfable but very ordinary. The combined energy is 200, which is at least moderate.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout for the whole outlook is the morning of Thursday, August 27th. We’re looking at a solid 10 feet from the S, with a 10-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, a combined energy of 1666. The wind is a sweet, gentle offshore from the SW, which will keep Manly clean and lined up. This is big for a point break; it might be a bit too much for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon looks a bit more bumpy with a cross-onshore wind.
Friday the 28th drops back a bit, but the morning has a clean 5 feet from the SSE under a light cross-offshore wind, and the afternoon goes glassy with the same size. Good, fun waves.
The weekend of the 29th and 30th stays active. Saturday morning the 29th has some clean 4 feet from the SSE under a moderate offshore. Saturday afternoon jumps back up to a big 10 feet from the S, but with a fresh cross-offshore breeze. That morning session is the better bet for quality. Sunday the 30th morning has 7 feet from the SSE with a moderate offshore; that’s a really solid, clean option.
The last days of the month and into September keep things going. Monday the 31st has a good 6 feet from the SSE under a gentle cross-offshore breeze. Tuesday the 1st of September has a very long period swell of 12 seconds from the SE at 5 feet. That’s a classy groundswell, but the wind is cross-shore, so the shape might be a little tricky. The energy is 808, which is strong. After that, it slowly runs out of steam into smaller, cleaner but smaller waves.
So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Don’t stress about it. But the window from the morning of August 27th through to the end of the month has some serious potential, with that Thursday morning being the absolute highlight. Get yourself ready for that.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | E 10 | NE 6 | ESE 8 | NE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 5 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 5 | S 10 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
80 | 305 | 89 | 56 | 57 | 125 | 52 | 26 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 31 | 34 | 46 | 48 | 31 | 58 | 92 | 127 | 151 | 82 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:55PM1.29m | 1:12AM0.93m | 1:51PM1.26m | 2:24AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:46AM0.84m | 4:00PM1.27m | 4:56AM0.87m | 4:57PM1.32m | 5:49AM0.92m | 5:45PM1.39m | 6:30AM0.99m | 6:27PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:34PM0.47m | 6:57AM0.47m | 8:49PM0.50m | 7:52AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:01AM0.55m | 11:10PM0.43m | 10:09AM0.53m | 11:58PM0.37m | 11:07AM0.49m | 00:38AM0.30m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:12AM0.23m | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | S 8 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | SE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 5 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | S 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
73 | 10 | 70 | 40 | 25 | 125 | 52 | 26 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 48 | 30 | 28 | 57 | 127 | 151 | 82 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | E 9 | S 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | SE 7 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 16 | S 8 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 |
80 | 6 | 5 | 56 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 29 | 31 | 5 | 27 | 24 | 8 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | E 12 | E 11 | S 13 | — | S 11 | S 11 | SE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | S 9 | ENE 9 | E 14 | NE 9 | NE 8 | E 13 | NE 9 | S 14 | S 8 | S 14 |
23 | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 16 | 5 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | E 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | — | NW 2 | NW 3 | NW 3 | SW 5 | S 5 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | ENE 4 | NNW 3 | — | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | SW 4 |
48 | 305 | 89 | 50 | 57 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 31 | 11 | 20 | 2 | — | 58 | 92 | 24 | 3 | 28 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 401 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 280 | 280 | 348 | 38 | 4 | 314 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sydney North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Manly Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Manly provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Manly can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Manly 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 (Manly) 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 Manly 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.
Manly is 6 km (4 miles) from Dee Why. If you plan a holiday in Sydney North Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Dee Why. Dee Why has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










