
Surf Forecasts:
Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 9,366 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s 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 21) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 13s 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 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, I’m back in imperial now. Here’s the same story in feet and miles per hour.
We’re looking at a classic point break, pulling in steady groundswell from the west-southwest. Water’s sitting at 58°F, right about where you’d expect for the season.
The real gem is Tuesday the 21st, first light. Glassy as a mirror with a light ESE breeze, and a clean 4ft groundswell from the WSW running on a 14-second beat. That’s 522 units of energy – serious grunt for a point. You’ll get long, racy walls and easy lulls between sets. Crowds are “sometimes,” so it’ll be worth the paddle. This is your session.
Next good look is Thursday the 23rd morning. A light ENE cross-off breeze and the same 4ft swell (520 energy). Clean, but not as silky as Tuesday. A solid backup.
Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th blow up to 15-16ft of pure chaos, with energy readings in the thousands (5008 to 9366) and screaming cross-shore winds at 28-31 mph. That’s a storm, not a surf. Sunday morning the 26th the wind drops but you’re still looking at 11-12ft waves – expert territory only.
Monday the 27th morning delivers a glassy, calm start with a 7ft west swell (1379 energy). That’s heavy, powerful, and clean. For experienced surfers only.
Then there’s a rough patch of onshores and rain for about a week.
The next real window is Sunday the 2nd of August. Glassy again with a light SSE breeze, and a clean 4ft groundswell (625 energy). A very user-friendly morning.
Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th stay clean but drop to 3ft. Perfect for a longboard or a fun cruise.
The pick is Tuesday the 21st morning. Don’t miss it. If you do, aim for Monday the 27th morning for the big stuff, or the 2nd of August for a clean, manageable day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat morning, light winds from the W by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 7 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | W 8 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
522 | 427 | 321 | 390 | 159 | 94 | 501 | 595 | 551 | 172 | 328 | 914 | 5008 | 9366 | 6564 | 5757 | 4170 | 2471 | 1379 | 1121 | 872 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | glassy | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 3:14PM2.43m | 3:36AM2.41m | 4:08PM2.31m | 4:37AM2.28m | 5:20PM2.24m | 5:51AM2.22m | 6:41PM2.28m | 7:02AM2.25m | 7:41PM2.38m | 8:00AM2.34m | 8:29PM2.52m | 8:48AM2.46m | 9:10PM2.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:08AM0.61m | 9:29PM0.79m | 9:56AM0.75m | 10:27PM0.93m | 10:54AM0.87m | 11:38PM1.01m | 12:10PM0.91m | 00:57AM0.99m | 1:21PM0.87m | 1:57AM0.90m | 2:16PM0.77m | 2:43AM0.78m | 3:01PM0.66m | ||||||||
7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 8 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 | -1 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 7 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | WSW 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
522 | 427 | 321 | 390 | 94 | 91 | 501 | 595 | 551 | 172 | 328 | — | — | — | 6564 | 5757 | 4170 | 2471 | 1379 | 1121 | 872 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 6 | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 56 | 51 | 49 | 94 | 19 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 3 | — | — | WSW 15 | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 1 | — | — | 71 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 7 | W 8 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 159 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 284 | 914 | 5008 | 9366 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 140 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 219 | 112 | 228 | 215 | 247 | 862 | 109 | 56 | 48 | 56 | 0 | 56 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Raglan and West Waikato | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










