Surf Forecasts:
Manly surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, S swell with 233 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with SE 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Manly in the next 16 days are 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Manly over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with ya – the next 16 days ain’t gonna be a classic for Manly. It’s a real mixed bag, with a big patch of nothing in the middle, then a couple of late standouts that’ll get the blood pumping. Let’s take it day by day.
We kick off on Saturday, 29 August, with a bit of life. The morning’s the best of the early run: a clean 4ft swell pushing in from the SSE, with a light cross-off breeze from the SSW keeping things tidy. The energy’s moderate (424), and the water’s sitting at 63°F, which is pretty average for the time of year. It’s a point break, and the swell is working from the right direction, making it a decent option for a beginner or a laid-back session. The afternoon gets a bit ordinary though – the wind goes cross, and the energy drops, so it’s more of a morning mission.
Then comes the dry spell. From Sunday, 30 August, right through to Friday, 4 September, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at a string of small, weak, or onshore slop. The swell barely gets above 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, making it choppy and messy. There’s a brief flicker on Wednesday afternoon with a tiny 2ft clean wave, but it’s barely surfable. That’s a solid week of nothing to get excited about.
After that, the weekend of 5-6 September is still disappointing – small swell and either lumpy cross-shore winds or barely there clean waves. The energy is weak (under 100), so don’t bother.
Now, the second week looks a lot more promising, but you gotta be patient. Monday, 7 September, sees a big jump in size – 8ft and 7ft – but the wind is howling at 25 mph from the WNW. It’s clean, but that’s a gale. The energy is strong (804), but it’s a mess for a point break with that much wind. The whole day is a write-off for paddling. Tuesday, 8 September, is the same story: huge swell (6ft-7ft), but the wind is still a solid 25 mph from the west. The afternoon has a 7ft swell with a 13-second period and energy at 1398, but with that cross-off gale, it’s gonna be a war zone. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Then the standout window opens. Wednesday, 9 September morning is the real deal. You’ve got a clean 8ft swell from the S, with a 12-second period, and it’s a solid offshore wind from the SW at 16 mph. The energy is cranking at 1848. That’s a proper groundswell with serious power. For a point break, the long period (12 seconds) means long lines and plenty of juice. The size is over 8ft, so this is for experts only – beginners, stay on the sand. The offshore wind will make it absolutely glassy and beautiful. This is the best on offer, hands down.
Thursday, 10 September morning is another banger. A 7ft swell from the SSE, with a 12-second period, and it’s glassy – a light SSW wind at 3 mph. The energy is still very strong (1140). The wave quality will be pristine, with that long-period swell wrapping around the point. It’s a bit smaller than Wednesday, but the glassy conditions make it a dream session. That’s the second standout.
Friday, 11 September, still has a clean 4ft swell from the SSE in the morning, with a 12-second period and a light cross-off wind. It’s a good, surfable wave, but the energy is dropping (656) and the afternoon gets messy with an onshore breeze. The weekend of 12-13 September fades out into small, weak, and onshore junk again.
So, to sum it up: there’s a long, boring gap from the end of August through to the start of the second week. The real action is on the 9th and 10th of September. Wednesday morning’s 8ft S swell with offshore wind is the big one for experts, and Thursday morning’s glassy 7ft SSE swell is the perfect follow-up. Get on it if you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 13 | S 10 | SSE 12 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
312 | 231 | 151 | 157 | 152 | 201 | 138 | 89 | 170 | 229 | 189 | 138 | 96 | 71 | 50 | 47 | 103 | 123 | 148 | 46 | 49 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:52PM1.50m | 9:25AM1.34m | 9:30PM1.43m | 10:02AM1.38m | 10:10PM1.34m | 10:43AM1.41m | 10:55PM1.23m | 11:28AM1.42m | 11:49PM1.12m | 12:22PM1.41m | 00:55AM1.01m | 1:26PM1.40m | 2:18AM0.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:40PM0.25m | 3:16AM0.10m | 3:22PM0.24m | 3:48AM0.13m | 4:07PM0.25m | 4:22AM0.17m | 4:57PM0.28m | 5:00AM0.24m | 5:55PM0.31m | 5:44AM0.32m | 7:04PM0.34m | 6:39AM0.39m | 8:25PM0.34m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 5 | S 10 | S 8 | NE 5 |
312 | 231 | 151 | 157 | 152 | 201 | 138 | 89 | 170 | 229 | 189 | 138 | 96 | 71 | 50 | 47 | 103 | 24 | 148 | 42 | 37 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 18 | S 15 | S 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | NE 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 13 | ENE 10 | SSE 12 | S 10 |
83 | 160 | 105 | 94 | 52 | 150 | 112 | 75 | 15 | 23 | 37 | 38 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 19 | 123 | 19 | 46 | 49 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 12 | E 12 | ENE 8 | N 12 | ENE 10 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 10 | SSE 12 | S 18 | S 7 |
29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 17 | 41 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 34 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 30 | 24 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | NW 2 | W 2 | SSW 4 | — | — | ENE 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | 3 | 39 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | — | 17 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 72 | 4 |
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.










