Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Manu Bay for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit up and down, but there’s a couple of windows worth paddlin’ out for.

Your first real chance is Tuesday, September 8th. Monday’s a no-go with onshore wind and crappy energy, so forget it. Tuesday morning though, we’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period and a cross-off breeze from the SSW. Water temp’s 58°, which is normal for this time of year. The combined energy is 914 (moderate wave energy), and for a point break like Manu Bay, that longer-period groundswell is gonna reel off nicely. It’s an advanced-only wave, and crowds are possible, so keep your head on a swivel. Tuesday afternoon goes choppy, so hit it early.

Wednesday the 9th brings a smaller but still clean 4ft swell from the west in the morning, with a light cross-off breeze. Energy’s down to 403, but it’ll be a fun little session. Afternoon onshore kills it.

Now, the big standout. Friday, September 11th—morning session. We’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the WSW with an 18-second period. That’s a very long-period groundswell, and at Manu Bay, that means long, wrapping walls. The cross-off breeze from the south will keep it clean. The combined energy is a massive 5261 (strong wave energy). This is over 8ft, so it’s experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach. The sets will be spaced out but when they come, they’ll be worth the wait. This is your call.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th have similar size (7ft to 12ft) but the wind goes cross-shore or onshore, so it gets messy. Still big and powerful, but not clean.

From the 14th to the 16th, we get smaller 5ft to 8ft swells but with cross or cross-onshore wind, so it’s choppy and average. Not worth the hassle.

Then from September 17th through the 22nd, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell stays big—10ft to a huge 13ft on the 20th—but the wind is strong and onshore or cross-onshore, makin’ a mess. The energy is off the charts (9277 on the 20th), but with a strong cross-onshore breeze and a short 11-second period on the 17th, it’s better for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Not for us.

So, in short: the standout is Friday, September 11th morning. Tuesday the 8th morning is your next best bet for cleaner waves at a smaller size.

Keep an eye on the tides, and I’ll see you out there.
Rusty.

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