
Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 5,765 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 16s. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a proper run of waves coming up at Raglan-Manu Bay, and it’s looking like a classic west coast setup. The water’s sitting at 58°, bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real action kicks off Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. Early on, you’ve got clean 5ft swell from the WSW with a 12-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the east. The combined energy is moderate at 497, and it’s feeling good. That’s your best bet for the early part of the week. Tuesday afternoon drops off a bit, and Wednesday is pretty ordinary with small 3ft waves and iffy winds.
Thursday morning the 30th sees a jump in quality with a 5ft, 14-second groundswell, but the wind is a cross-shore from the NE, making it a bit messy. The energy is building though, reading 735. By Friday the 31st, things get ugly with a strong onshore wind and lumpy 7ft to 8ft surf – not worth paddling out.
Now, here’s the standout. Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is a washout with 12ft cross-on junk, but the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind swings to a cross-off from the SSW, the swell drops to a powerful 10ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is thumping at 3996. That’s proper groundswell, and for the experienced crew, it’ll be a session to remember. This is the pick of the whole window.
Sunday the 2nd offers a mellow drop to 5ft with glassy conditions in the morning – clean and fun. Monday the 3rd is a real treat: 3ft swell, but with a 20-second period and zero wind. Glassy, long-period lines rolling in. The energy is moderate at 957, but for a point break like Manu Bay, that long period will set up beautifully. Tuesday the 4th sees increasing onshore winds and messy 5ft to 6ft surf.
Wednesday the 5th of August is another highlight for the strong surfers: 7ft to 7ft from the WSW, 14-second period, and clean cross-off winds. The energy is solid at 1491 and 1719. Thursday the 6th is cleaner but smaller, and from Friday the 7th through the second week, the swell drops off significantly. There’s a gap of several days from the 7th to the 9th where the surf is smaller and winds are strong, though still clean. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are tiny, with 2ft to 3ft waves.
The window closes with a nice little pulse on Wednesday the 12th of August: 5ft from the WSW, 15-second period, glassy in the morning. Combined energy is 1049, and it’s a lovely way to finish the run. The afternoons are a bit more crossed-up.
So, to sum it up: Saturday afternoon the 1st of August is your absolute standout for heavy, clean groundswell for experts. Monday the 3rd is the sneaky gem for long-period glass. The rest is small but with moments of clean conditions.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 5°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 14 | W 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
497 | 343 | 254 | 206 | 202 | 886 | 735 | 631 | 241 | 739 | 1026 | 4467 | 5393 | 3996 | 1624 | 615 | 426 | 153 | 775 | 1156 | 1414 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:30AM2.58m | 9:47PM2.78m | 10:08AM2.69m | 10:22PM2.88m | 10:43AM2.78m | 10:57PM2.97m | 11:17AM2.84m | 11:31PM3.01m | 11:51AM2.86m | 00:05AM3.02m | 12:26PM2.85m | 00:39AM2.98m | 1:02PM2.81m | 1:15AM2.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:40PM0.54m | 3:59AM0.55m | 4:16PM0.43m | 4:35AM0.45m | 4:50PM0.35m | 5:10AM0.38m | 5:24PM0.29m | 5:45AM0.33m | 5:59PM0.28m | 6:22AM0.31m | 6:35PM0.32m | 6:59AM0.33m | 7:13PM0.40m | ||||||||
7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | W 14 | W 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 |
497 | 343 | 254 | 206 | 202 | 886 | 735 | 631 | 213 | 361 | — | 4467 | 5393 | 3996 | 1624 | 615 | 426 | 151 | 775 | 1156 | 1414 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 16 | W 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | — | NNW 5 | NW 6 | W 16 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | W 22 | W 20 | W 19 | WSW 11 | WSW 8 | — | — |
— | 5 | 21 | 29 | 142 | — | 14 | 43 | 190 | 160 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 30 | 29 | 111 | 75 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 22 | WSW 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 153 | 107 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 7 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 241 | 739 | 1026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 234 | 222 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 221 | 109 | 109 | 109 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 194 | 247 |
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.










