Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 3,213 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s 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 16) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 16s 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for Manu Bay at Raglan. This is the only spot on the cards, and it’s got a few real standouts for the experienced surfer.
We start on Saturday the 15th with a solid 7.2ft swell out of the WSW, a long 16-second period, and a serious amount of energy (2424). Water’s sitting at 57°, right on the money for this time of year. Problem is a cross-shore wind that’s kicking up a little chop, and the tide’s looking awkward. Not the day to rush out.
Sunday the 16th is where it’s at. Morning session has 7.9ft of WSW swell, still that lovely 16-second period, and the energy is cranked to 2901. The wind’s a clean cross-offshore from the south at just 6 mph. It’s powerful, it’s clean, and it’s a dream for the advanced surfer. The afternoon is just as good – 7.5ft swell, same long period, and the wind swings offshore from the SSE at 9 mph. Glassy conditions on a point break that loves this direction. This is the highlight of the whole run. Don’t sleep on it.
Monday the 17th holds in there. Morning has 6.9ft, 16-second period, with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. Energy’s still big at 2082. Afternoon drops to 6.6ft and a 15-second period. Still clean and surfable, but not the same perfection as Sunday.
Tuesday the 18th eases. Morning’s 4.6ft with a 14-second period, energy down to 811. The south wind is light and cross-offshore, so it’s clean but smaller. The afternoon gets a stronger 16 mph wind, so the morning is your window.
Wednesday the 19th is similar – 5.6ft in the morning at 13 seconds, afternoon drops to 4.3ft but the period stretches back to 16 seconds. Moderate cross-offshore breeze keeps things reasonable.
Thursday the 20th is a little gem. Morning turns glassy – an ESE wind at just 3 mph, not a ripple. Swell’s 5.2ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, energy at 1076. The wind is perfect, the swell’s solid, and the direction is ideal. Get out early. The afternoon gets a light cross-onshore, so the morning is the call.
Friday the 21st goes flat and choppy. Swell’s down to 3.9-4.3ft with a cross-onshore wind building. Not worth the effort.
From Saturday the 22nd we hit a real dead spot. Tiny 2.6-3.0ft slop with strong cross-onshore winds. Sunday the 23rd is even worse, with a weird 19-second period swell that’s barely 1.3ft. That’s just background noise.
Then a new pulse arrives on Monday the 24th. It jumps to 9.8ft from the west, but the period drops to just 9 seconds – that’s short-period wind swell. Energy is 1344, so there’s plenty of push, but strong onshore winds and a messy surface make it a battle. The afternoon improves a bit with a lighter onshore and 8.2ft, but quality is poor. This is more for the kite crew than a paddle.
Tuesday the 25th keeps the size at 8.2ft from the west, with a much better 15-16 second period. Energy is massive – 3396 in the morning! But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and it’s raining. The power is incredible, but the surface is rough.
Wednesday the 26th is similar – 7.9-8.2ft, long period, but strong onshore winds and rain. Poor conditions.
Thursday the 27th looks better. Morning has 6.2ft with a 16-second period and a light cross-onshore. Then the afternoon turns it on: 4.9ft from the WSW, 15-second period, and offshore wind from the ESE at 9 mph. Clean, glassy conditions. A ripper little session.
Friday the 28th fades to 3.9ft from the NW, and Saturday the 29th brings another pulse – 6.9ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and glassy conditions in the morning. Clean and rideable. Sunday the 30th holds at 5.9ft, again with clean morning winds.
The standout is nailed
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2424 | 2107 | 2901 | 2682 | 2334 | 2082 | 1811 | 1275 | 811 | 889 | 1137 | 867 | 803 | 1491 | 1076 | 778 | 631 | 490 | 796 | 585 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:09AM3.12m | 12:29PM2.93m | 00:46AM2.97m | 1:07PM2.80m | 1:23AM2.78m | 1:45PM2.64m | 2:01AM2.58m | 2:26PM2.48m | 2:46AM2.39m | 3:16PM2.32m | 3:46AM2.22m | 4:25PM2.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:59PM0.09m | 6:26AM0.12m | 6:39PM0.22m | 7:05AM0.24m | 7:19PM0.40m | 7:44AM0.40m | 8:01PM0.59m | 8:23AM0.58m | 8:46PM0.79m | 9:06AM0.76m | 9:40PM0.96m | 10:01AM0.92m | 10:49PM1.07m | |||||||
— | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
2424 | 2107 | 2901 | 2682 | 2334 | 2082 | 1811 | 1275 | 811 | 889 | 1137 | 867 | 471 | 1491 | 1076 | 778 | 631 | 490 | 796 | 585 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 387 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 225 | 803 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 108 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 274 | 165 | 140 | 56 | 0 | 129 | 140 | 56 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 228 | 247 | 249 |
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.











