
Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with 4,059 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s 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 (Aug 02) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Raglan-Manu Bay in the next 16 days are 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the Raglan stretch, specifically Manu Bay. This is a classic point break that loves a good southwest swell, and we’ve got plenty of that on the horizon. The water temp is sitting right around 57.2°, which is totally normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We kick things off this Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. It’s looking pretty tidy – a clean 4.3ft swell from the WSW with a solid 11-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the east at just 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 446, and that offshore/grainy wind will have Manu Bay looking smooth and inviting. This is the standout of the early window – clean, punchy, and not too crowded if you get out there early. But keep in mind, it’s a fairly consistent spot, so you might find a few others with the same idea.
Sunday afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-shore from the SW at 6 mph, and the swell drops a touch to 3.9ft. It’s still surfable, but the quality slides off a bit.
Monday the 3rd, the wind cranks up – 19 mph from the SW, creating a lumpy cross-shore mess. The morning has a weak 3.3ft swell, and the afternoon jumps to 7.9ft with a very long 18-second period from the WSW. That’s a lot of energy (3432), but the wind is ruining it. That long period groundswell will be peeling nicely at a point like Manu Bay, but only if the wind behaves, which it won’t. This one’s for the experts only, if anyone’s silly enough to brave the chop.
Tuesday the 4th, the morning is still messy with 22 mph cross-shore winds and a 4.9ft, 16-second swell. The afternoon cleans up nicely – a cross-off breeze from the SSW at 16 mph, with the swell easing to 4.6ft but still holding that long 16-second period. The energy is still strong at 1638, and the waves will be better shaped. Not a standout, but a solid afternoon session.
Wednesday the 5th, morning has a clean 5.2ft swell from the WSW, 14-second period, with a cross-off breeze from the south at 12 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (969). It’s a good, clean, surfable day. The afternoon drops to 4.3ft, still clean.
Thursday the 6th, the swell drops right off. Morning is a mere 3.0ft from the WSW, 12-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. The energy is weak (242). It’s surfable but very ordinary.
From Thursday afternoon through to the 8th, we’ve got a real dry spell. Swell heights drop below 2.3ft, and the energy falls into the double digits. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are barely worth a paddle – tiny waves, inconsistent. Friday afternoon has a 1.0ft, 14-second swell with only 76 energy. You’d be waiting all day for a set.
Then we see a pulse of life on Sunday the 9th. Morning has a 2.6ft swell from the WSW, 16-second period, with a clean cross-off breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. The energy is 447 – still
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the SW by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed afternoon, min 5°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | W 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 13 | NW 8 | WSW 19 | W 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
416 | 337 | 153 | 713 | 3432 | 3876 | 1077 | 906 | 565 | 969 | 545 | 351 | 233 | 129 | 106 | 56 | 38 | 70 | 67 | 122 | 304 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:26PM2.85m | 00:39AM2.98m | 1:02PM2.81m | 1:15AM2.90m | 1:41PM2.73m | 1:56AM2.79m | 2:24PM2.63m | 2:43AM2.66m | 3:16PM2.53m | 3:41AM2.53m | 4:24PM2.44m | 4:57AM2.44m | 5:57PM2.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:35PM0.32m | 6:59AM0.33m | 7:13PM0.40m | 7:38AM0.39m | 7:55PM0.51m | 8:20AM0.48m | 8:42PM0.64m | 9:07AM0.60m | 9:38PM0.77m | 10:04AM0.73m | 10:47PM0.86m | 11:21AM0.81m | 00:15AM0.85m | ||||||||
7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | W 19 | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 |
416 | 337 | 147 | 713 | — | — | 1077 | 732 | 509 | 969 | 545 | 351 | 233 | 129 | 106 | 56 | 38 | 70 | 67 | 95 | 77 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 20 | W 19 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | — | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | W 22 | W 15 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 11 | W 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 19 | W 18 |
30 | 29 | 153 | — | — | — | — | 906 | 565 | — | 60 | 51 | 9 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 15 | 34 | 122 | 304 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 21 | W 20 | W 18 | W 10 | — | W 18 | WSW 13 | W 10 |
— | — | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 30 | 27 | 8 | — | 27 | 31 | 30 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 7 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 278 | 3432 | 3876 | 975 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 96 | 96 | 224 | 249 | 238 | 140 | 164 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 0 |
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.











