Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the Raglan stretch, specifically Manu Bay. This is a classic point break that loves a good southwest swell, and we’ve got plenty of that on the horizon. The water temp is sitting right around 57.2°, which is totally normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick things off this Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. It’s looking pretty tidy – a clean 4.3ft swell from the WSW with a solid 11-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the east at just 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 446, and that offshore/grainy wind will have Manu Bay looking smooth and inviting. This is the standout of the early window – clean, punchy, and not too crowded if you get out there early. But keep in mind, it’s a fairly consistent spot, so you might find a few others with the same idea.

Sunday afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-shore from the SW at 6 mph, and the swell drops a touch to 3.9ft. It’s still surfable, but the quality slides off a bit.

Monday the 3rd, the wind cranks up – 19 mph from the SW, creating a lumpy cross-shore mess. The morning has a weak 3.3ft swell, and the afternoon jumps to 7.9ft with a very long 18-second period from the WSW. That’s a lot of energy (3432), but the wind is ruining it. That long period groundswell will be peeling nicely at a point like Manu Bay, but only if the wind behaves, which it won’t. This one’s for the experts only, if anyone’s silly enough to brave the chop.

Tuesday the 4th, the morning is still messy with 22 mph cross-shore winds and a 4.9ft, 16-second swell. The afternoon cleans up nicely – a cross-off breeze from the SSW at 16 mph, with the swell easing to 4.6ft but still holding that long 16-second period. The energy is still strong at 1638, and the waves will be better shaped. Not a standout, but a solid afternoon session.

Wednesday the 5th, morning has a clean 5.2ft swell from the WSW, 14-second period, with a cross-off breeze from the south at 12 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (969). It’s a good, clean, surfable day. The afternoon drops to 4.3ft, still clean.

Thursday the 6th, the swell drops right off. Morning is a mere 3.0ft from the WSW, 12-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. The energy is weak (242). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

From Thursday afternoon through to the 8th, we’ve got a real dry spell. Swell heights drop below 2.3ft, and the energy falls into the double digits. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are barely worth a paddle – tiny waves, inconsistent. Friday afternoon has a 1.0ft, 14-second swell with only 76 energy. You’d be waiting all day for a set.

Then we see a pulse of life on Sunday the 9th. Morning has a 2.6ft swell from the WSW, 16-second period, with a clean cross-off breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. The energy is 447 – still

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