Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at the legendary Manu Bay (Raglan-Manu-Bay), and honestly, the pattern is shaping up with a couple of standout windows. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

The first real highlight hits on Sunday afternoon, July 12th. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell coming from the WSW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and it’s wrapping in nicely. The wind is glassy, light NW at 3 mph, which means the surface will be like a mirror. The combined energy is pumping at 914 (moderate), and for a point break like this, that long period is going to reel off some beautiful, lined-up waves. This is the pick of the early run.

The next standout is Thursday morning, July 16th. The swell is a solid 7ft from the WSW, still with a long 16-second period. The wind is glassy again—NNW at 3 mph. This is a powerful wave, and with the energy reading at 2224 (strong), it’s going to be a serious session. This is for experienced surfers only; it’s too big for beginners.

Then we have to look at the weekend of July 19th. Sunday afternoon, July 19th, is another cracker. Swell is 6ft from the WSW, 16 seconds, and the wind is cross-offshore from the east at 9 mph, keeping it clean. Energy is 1611 (strong). This is a solid, clean option.

After that, the swell drops off. There’s a dry spell from around July 21st through to the 23rd, with small waves and building winds. The size comes back up on Friday, July 24th, with a 8ft to 8ft WSW swell, but the period drops to a short, weak 8 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, and it’s going to be a bit of a mess. The wind stays cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the shape will be poor. The energy is moderate (960-979), but it’s a frustrating kind of wave.

The very end of the run, Sunday morning, July 26th, shows a tiny 3ft swell with a very long 18-second period, and glassy conditions. It’s small, but if you’re on a log, it could be a fun, clean session.

For the real standout: hands down, Sunday afternoon, July 12th, and Thursday morning, July 16th. The 12th is the cleaner, more manageable size, while the 16th is for the big-wave crew. Both are glassy, both have proper groundswell. Don’t expect to have the place to yourself—crowds are "sometimes" an issue here, but for sessions like these, it’s worth it.

Rusty.

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