
Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, W swell with 7,687 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Raglan-Manu Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Raglan-Manu Bay in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) 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 0.7m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, coming to you from the local line-up.
We’ve got a solid run of quality surf on the way for the Manu Bay area, starting with a bang this weekend. The water temp is sitting right on the seasonal average at 58°, so nothing unusual there—just your standard winter chill.
The standout session of the whole outlook is hands down Sunday morning, July 26th at Manu Bay. We’re talking a clean 10ft groundswell out of the west, with a very long 15-second period pushing a heap of energy in (combined energy at 4075). That’s serious power. The wind is a light cross-off from the ENE, keeping the faces lined up and smooth. This is an advanced spot on a day like this—it’s going to be pumping, so expect some crowds, but the quality will be worth it. If you’re experienced, don’t miss that session.
Sunday afternoon cleans up even more with glassy conditions, the swell drops a touch to 8ft but holds at a very long 14-second period. That afternoon glass-off is a major positive for getting those perfect, walling rides.
Monday morning is another cracker with clean 7ft west swell, 13-second period, and light offshore SSE winds. The energy is still strong (1376). It’s a great follow-up day.
Things get a bit more relaxed through midweek. Tuesday morning has a glassy, smaller 5ft swell, and the energy drops to moderate levels. Wednesday stays small and clean, but the winds start to turn onshore later.
Watch out for Saturday, August 1st. A big 15ft west swell rolls in, but it’s coming with onshore winds and risk of thunderstorms. The energy is massive (7312), but with the wind and lumpy conditions, it’s one for the tow crew only, or maybe the kiters if that’s your thing.
There’s a solid second pulse coming through around Tuesday and Wednesday, August 4th and 5th. The Tuesday morning session (August 4th) stands out with a clean 6ft west swell that has a super long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell with excellent energy (1668), and light offshore winds from the SSE. The consistency will be there, and those long-period lines will set up perfectly for Manu Bay’s point. Again, that kind of period can make it break a bit straight at beach breaks, but on a point like this, it’s pure magic.
A similar, clean 5ft swell with an 18-second period arrives on Thursday morning, August 6th, with light cross-off winds. That’s another very strong contender for the best of the second week, though being nine days out, it’s a promising forecast rather than a dead certainty.
After that, it tails off into smaller, cleaner surf through the end of the outlook, with several days where the energy is low and winds pick up, making it a bit of a waiting game for the next big one.
For the best of the best: Sunday morning, July 26th is the one to circle on the calendar for the big, clean west swell. The Tuesday morning session on August 4th is the long-range standout for perfect conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Sun afternoon, min 5°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 6°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 15 | WSW 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 9 | W 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4075 | 2444 | 1640 | 1376 | 1087 | 692 | 497 | 343 | 254 | 206 | 202 | 838 | 704 | 512 | 353 | 557 | 613 | 5233 | 7312 | 2767 | 1132 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | off |
High Tide | 8:29PM2.52m | 8:48AM2.46m | 9:10PM2.65m | 9:30AM2.58m | 9:47PM2.78m | 10:08AM2.69m | 10:22PM2.88m | 10:43AM2.78m | 10:57PM2.97m | 11:17AM2.84m | 11:31PM3.01m | 11:51AM2.86m | 00:05AM3.02m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:16PM0.77m | 2:43AM0.78m | 3:01PM0.66m | 3:23AM0.66m | 3:40PM0.54m | 3:59AM0.55m | 4:16PM0.43m | 4:35AM0.45m | 4:50PM0.35m | 5:10AM0.38m | 5:24PM0.29m | 5:45AM0.33m | 5:59PM0.28m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 15 | WSW 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 9 | W 15 | W 14 | — | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
4075 | 2444 | 1640 | 1376 | 1087 | 692 | 497 | 343 | 254 | 206 | 202 | 838 | 704 | 512 | 331 | 453 | 459 | 5233 | — | 2767 | 1132 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | W 17 | WSW 16 | — | NW 6 | W 18 | W 16 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | — | W 21 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 21 | 23 | 142 | — | 50 | 56 | 190 | 557 | — | — | — | — | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | W 9 | — | WSW 14 | — | SSE 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | 353 | — | 613 | — | 7312 | — | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 142 | 0 | 0 | 228 | 252 | 108 | 112 | 135 | 122 | 96 | 56 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Raglan and West Waikato | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Raglan-Manu Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Raglan-Manu Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Raglan-Manu Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Raglan-Manu Bay 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 (Raglan-Manu Bay) 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 Raglan-Manu Bay 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.
Raglan-Manu Bay is 42 km (26 miles) from Hamilton. If you plan a holiday in Raglan and West Waikato, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hamilton. Hamilton has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










