
Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 14s period, W swell with 11,086 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period with W 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 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Raglan-Manu Bay in the next 16 days are 5.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Friday afternoon and all of Saturday are a mess – strong winds, lumpy, and crossed-up conditions. The swell is there, especially Saturday afternoon with a 16 ft W swell, but the wind is howling near gale, so don’t even bother. That’s all for the bin.
The first real standout comes Sunday morning, 26 July. The wind swings offshore from the SE at just 10 km/h, and the swell drops to a solid 10 ft from the W with a 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The water temp is about 58°, which is bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy is very strong, and the conditions are clean. For advanced surfers, this is easily the best of the first week. Just be aware, with that size it’s expert territory, and the long period means it’ll be lining up beautifully on a point break like Manu Bay. Crowds are possible, but it’s the best on offer.
Sunday afternoon and Monday morning still hold good energy, but the wind shifts cross-shore, and the quality drops a notch. Still surfable, but not the standout.
The next big highlight falls on Tuesday morning, 4 August. The swell is 6 ft from the WSW, period at 17 seconds – very long period groundswell. Winds are light and cross-offshore from the ESE at 10 km/h, keeping it clean. Combined energy is strong. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and with that long period, Manu Bay will handle it perfectly. This is another session to circle on the calendar.
After that, the surf slowly winds down. The first week of August sees cleaner conditions but smaller waves. Wednesday morning 5 August has a 5 ft WSW swell with light offshore winds from the ESE – decent for a relaxed session. Thursday 6 August is glassy in the afternoon with a 3 ft swell, but it’s small.
There’s a bit of a gap in quality from Friday 7 August onwards, with waves dropping to 2-2 ft and very ordinary conditions. The period stretches out to 19-20 seconds, but there’s just not enough energy left. It’s not worth paddling out for.
Overall, the real standout windows are Sunday morning 26 July and Tuesday morning 4 August. Get in the water then. The rest is either blown out, or too small.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | WNW 9 | WSW 15 | W 12 | WSW 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 | W 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
196 | 963 | 827 | 7194 | 7817 | 4129 | 2444 | 1668 | 1269 | 995 | 609 | 505 | 325 | 210 | 167 | 164 | 309 | 415 | 325 | 621 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:41PM2.28m | 7:02AM2.25m | 7:41PM2.38m | 8:00AM2.34m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:57AM0.99m | 1:21PM0.87m | 1:57AM0.90m | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | 11 | 14 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | — | WSW 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 | W 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WNW 8 |
193 | 101 | 827 | — | 7817 | 4129 | 2444 | 1668 | 1269 | 995 | 609 | 505 | 325 | 210 | 167 | 164 | 152 | 415 | 307 | 621 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | W 6 | WSW 18 | WSW 13 |
196 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 21 | 26 | 75 | 309 | 64 | 104 | 317 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 341 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — |
157 | 963 | 629 | 7194 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 325 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 228 | 169 | 109 | 195 | 115 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 215 |
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.










