Surf Forecasts:
Manly surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, E swell with 267 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with ESE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Manly in the next 16 days are 1.2m 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Manly over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at a pretty grim stretch for Manly. It’s a point break that’s sheltered from the swell, so it's always going to be a bit of a struggle, but this forecast is just sad. The whole 16-day window is flat, messy, or blown out, with only a couple of tiny windows of something that might be worth a paddle if you’re truly desperate.
For the first week, honestly, forget it. From Tuesday the 18th right through to late August, it’s a wasteland. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2.5 ft, and the wind is all over the shop – cross-onshore, onshore, or just plain ugly. The combined swell energy is weak, barely hitting the 100s on the 18th (217) and then dropping into the double digits and low triple digits for days. The water temp is 62.8°, which is about 1.4° colder than normal, so nothing wild there.
The first real sign of life – and I say *sign* – is early on the 28th of August. Friday morning shows a little 2.3 ft NE swell with a gentle offshore wind from the SSW. That’s clean. The energy is still low (121), but it’s surfable. It’s not a standout, just a sigh of relief after a long, flat week.
Now, the true standout in this whole sorry forecast is Sunday the 30th of August. Mark it in your calendar. Sunday morning, Manly gets a solid 8.2 ft groundswell from the S, with a period of 18 seconds – that’s very long period energy. The combined swell energy is massive, at 6764. That’s a lot of power. The wind is a clean offshore from the SSW, so it’ll be *clean*. This is a big, powerful swell for Manly, and it’s only for experienced surfers. Anything over 8.2 ft is expert territory, and this one is 8.2 ft exactly. The long period means it’s a proper groundswell, and on a point break like this, it could be incredible. But the afternoon turns cross-onshore, so the morning window is the one.
The following Monday, the 31st, there’s still a 6.2 ft S swell, but it’s onshore wind and messy. The energy is still high (1084), but the quality is gone. After that, it fades back into tiny, weak, onshore junk for the first couple of days of September.
So, the honest truth? There’s a solid 10-day gap of nothing, then a tiny clean window on the 28th, and then a real, heavy, expert-only morning on the 30th of August. That 30th is the only one that gets the heart pumping. Everything else is a skunk.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 7 | E 10 | SE 9 | ESE 6 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 9 | NE 6 | S 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
93 | 100 | 86 | 267 | 81 | 45 | 25 | 80 | 64 | 39 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 39 | 88 | 86 | 64 | 54 | 67 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 00:16AM1.05m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:29PM0.42m | 6:14AM0.38m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | ENE 5 | ESE 7 | S 8 | SE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 5 | S 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 9 |
56 | 28 | 86 | 10 | 81 | 45 | 23 | 80 | 64 | 39 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 88 | 86 | 64 | 54 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 12 | NE 5 | E 10 | S 12 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | S 6 | S 5 | S 9 | S 4 | S 9 | S 15 | NE 9 | ENE 5 | NE 7 | S 10 |
61 | 51 | 80 | 6 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 39 | 41 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ESE 11 | S 9 | — | — | E 11 | S 13 | S 13 | S 11 | SSW 5 | S 10 | S 9 | S 5 | S 8 | NE 6 | S 19 | E 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 16 |
7 | 100 | 23 | — | — | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 25 | 8 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | — | — | E 10 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | — | WNW 2 | — | WNW 2 | — | — | — | — | NE 9 | ENE 5 | — | NE 4 | NW 3 |
93 | — | — | 267 | 71 | 32 | 25 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 28 | — | 11 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 117 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 270 | 280 | 393 | 47 | 4 | 178 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sydney North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










