Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Raglan’s Manu Bay over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight up, the next few days are gonna be a grind. We’ve got a strong, lumpy 7ft WSW swell on Sunday, but that fresh cross-shore wind is just ruining it. The water temp isn’t flagged as anything unusual, so it’s pretty average for the time of year, but you won’t care much about that when you’re fighting a choppy lineup. The combined energy on Sunday morning sits at a moderate 775, and it only gets uglier into the afternoon at 919.

Monday the 31st sees the swell push up to 12ft from the WSW, but again, those cross and cross-onshore winds in the 18-22 mph range make it a messy, lumpy affair. The energy jumps to 4218, which is strong, but it’s not clean. This size, over 8ft, is expert territory anyway, and the conditions aren’t doing it any favours. Tuesday the 1st of September is more of the same: 12ft swell, strong breeze, poor surf. We’re looking at a solid gap with no real recommendations here for days.

Things don't really let up through the week. Wednesday the 2nd drops to a 8ft swell with moderate cross-shore wind, but still choppy and marginal. The energy is still strong at 2163, but the quality isn't there. We’ve got a run of poor surf stretching right through until the morning of Monday the 8th of September.

Now, that morning of Tuesday the 8th of September is the standout. A 7ft WSW swell, but the wind switches to a light offshore from the ESE at just 6 mph. That’s going to clean it right up. For an advanced point like Manu Bay, that’s excellent. The combined energy is a solid 2575, and with that long 14-second period, those waves will have real push and shape, though it’s a long period groundswell so expect longer lulls between sets. It’s the best on offer, hands down. Keep an eye out though, the crowds here are sometimes, so expect company.

Later that afternoon, the wind swings back to a fresh cross-shore and the quality drops off a cliff. After that, we’re back into poor conditions for the rest of the run, with an 12ft swell on Thursday the 10th and another strong energy reading of 5810, but the winds never play ball. The final morning on Monday the 14th sees a 5ft WSW swell, but still with a moderate cross-shore and a cross-chop. It’s not the finish we’d hope for.

So, to wrap it up: the only real window to get excited about is the morning of Tuesday, the 8th of September. Set your alarm for that one. Everything else is a messy wait.

Rusty.

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