Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Raglan-Manu Bay.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start to this outlook, with the first few days offering some waves, but nothing to get too fired up about. The real action, the kind that gets the heart pumping, is a fair way off. The pattern looks like it’ll build into some serious size and energy by the end of the month, but we’ve got to be patient.

The water temp here is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Right now, on the 26th of August, we’ve got a 6ft WSW swell pushing in, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze. It’s not pretty. That carries into the afternoon with more of the same, a bit stronger wind. It’s a pass.

Thursday the 27th is a step up. The morning is looking glassy, with a light NNE breeze, and the swell is a clean 5ft from the WSW with a solid 13-second period. It’s got moderate energy (841) and that glassy surface will make for some tidy waves. The afternoon sees the wind swing offshore, but the quality drops off a tick.

Friday the 28th is a write-off with a strong cross-onshore wind and a short-period, choppy 5ft swell. Not worth your time.

Saturday the 29th redeems things. The morning is glassy again, with a smaller 4ft WSW swell, but that 13-second period and no wind will make it fun on the longboard. The afternoon gets a clean, cross-offshore breeze with a better 6ft swell – that’s a solid afternoon session.

Now, the 30th of August is a day to stay out of the water. The swell jumps to 8ft and then 10ft, but it’s accompanied by howling onshore wind. That’s messy and blown-out.

The standout, and I mean the absolute highlight of this entire outlook, is Monday the 31st of August. The morning session is for the hardcore crew only. We’ve got a massive 16ft WSW groundswell rolling in, with a 15-second period. The combined energy is off the charts at 9947. And get this – the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the south. That’s an exceptional, clean, big-wave day at the Point. This is not for beginners; this is expert territory. The afternoon wind picks up and gets messy, so the early bird gets the wave.

Tuesday the 1st of September is still big, with an 12ft swell, but the wind is a cross-shore chop, making it a tough paddle. Still big, but not as clean.

We go through a patch of messy, onshore wind from the 2nd through the 4th of September, with some size but poor conditions.

The 5th of September is a bit of a nothing day, with a small, weak 4ft swell.

The second real standout comes on Sunday the 6th of September. The morning session looks magic. A solid 8ft W groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and it’s glassy. The energy is strong at 3772. That’s going to produce some long, racy, beautiful lines at Manu Bay. It’s still a solid size for experienced surfers, but that glassy surface makes it world-class.

After that, the swell hangs around in the 7ft range through to the 10th, but the winds become a bit more mixed, offering some clean windows but also some cross-onshore chop. The morning of the 10th of September shows some promise with a clean 8ft W swell and a cross-offshore breeze.

So, to wrap it up: If you’re an experienced surfer, you live for the 31st of August morning session. For the rest of us, the 6th of September morning is the one to circle. The rest of the period is a mixed bag of average to poor conditions. Keep an eye on that forecast, because when it’s on, it’s on.

Rusty.

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