Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.82° S 174.83° E

Raglan-Manu Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Raglan-Manu Bay sea temperature is
13.8° C
0.0° 

Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, W swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 6,232 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period with W 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 17s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Raglan-Manu Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 27th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 13s
Best Surf 6PM (Thu 27th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 13s
Most Powerful12PM (Mon 24th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Raglan-Manu Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, listen up, crew. Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

We’re kicking things off with a bit of a slow start, but hold tight because there’s a massive pulse of energy brewing for the second week that’s got my heart pumping. The first few days are pretty average, with a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind messing things up. The real show doesn’t start to build until about Monday the 24th of August, and then it goes absolutely nuts.

First up, we’ve got Raglan-Manu Bay (New Zealand). Water temp is sitting right around 57°, which is dead average for this time of year, so don’t expect any surprises there. The first real standout we can talk about is the morning of Friday the 21st of August. It’s not a world-beater, but we’ve got a 4ft swell from the WSW with a period of 14 seconds, and the wind is a light SW cross-shore. The energy is moderate (604), but the conditions are only marginal. Don’t expect much.

The weekend is a write-off. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are a mess with onshore winds and rainy conditions. Sunday morning actually sees a 8ft WNW swell, but it’s wind-affected and short period (8 seconds), blown out by a fresh breeze. That’s a kite surfer’s playground, not a surfer’s.

Now, Monday the 24th of August is where things get interesting. We’ve got a clean, clear morning with a cross-shore breeze and a 12ft swell from the WSW packing a very long 15-second period. The energy is huge (6161). This is a big, powerful groundswell. For a point break like Manu Bay, that long period is going to wrap in beautifully, offering long, lined-up walls. But listen, 12ft is solidly in the expert zone. This is not for learners. It’s going to be big and powerful. The wind stays cross-shore through the afternoon, making it still rideable, but that’s a lot of water moving.

Tuesday the 25th of August is still pumping. The swell drops to 8ft in the morning, still with that long 15-second period and a WSW direction. The wind is a gentle cross-shore. This is a better size for a wider range of experienced surfers, but still a powerful wave. The energy is very strong (2684). The afternoon gets a bit choppier with a cross-onshore breeze.

The middle of the week calms down a bit. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are smaller, in the 5ft to 6ft range, with a mix of onshore and cross-shore winds. The energy drops to moderate (755-1231). They’re surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Friday the 28th of August is a bit of a write-off again with onshore winds and rain spoiling the 5ft to 6ft swell.

Then we get a bit of a breather, but the real magic might be brewing for the end of the month. The morning of Monday the 31st of August is looking clean. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period, and a light NE cross-offshore breeze. The energy is strong (1076), and the conditions are described as clean. That’s a promising window for a clean, long-period point wave.

The next true standout, and the one that has me checking my calendar, is the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September. The forecast shows a 8ft swell from the WSW with a 10-second period, light ENE wind, and it’s cross-offshore. The conditions are clean, and the energy is strong (1156). This could be a magic afternoon at Manu Bay.

But the biggest event of the whole forecast is the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September. We’re looking at a massive 15ft swell from the WSW with a very long 16-second period. The energy is astronomical (10043). The wind is a moderate cross-shore. This is a truly giant groundswell. For a point break, this will be a legendary, once-in-a-season type of swell. This is strictly for experts only. It’s going to be huge, powerful, and potentially dangerous. The afternoon drops to 12ft, still massive.

After that, the swell drops back down through the 4th and 5th of September, losing its power and getting messy again with onshore winds for the weekend. The 5th of September looks like a flat, blown-out end to the run.

If you’re just looking for the best of the best, I’d circle the 1st of September afternoon for quality and the 3rd of September morning for pure, raw power. The 24th of August is also a solid, big-wave day. The rest of the time is marginal or poor.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Fri morning, strong winds from the NW by Sun morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
16
1.1
WSW
14
1.1
WSW
14
0.6
WSW
14
1.5
W
6
2.5
WNW
8
3
W
10
3.5
W
12
3.5
WSW
15
3.5
WSW
15
3
WSW
15
2.5
WSW
15
2.2
WSW
15
1.9
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
14
1.8
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
14
1.5
WSW
13
1.5
W
13
0.9
WSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
604
688
472
459
147
178
915
2097
2894
6161
5300
3544
2684
2191
1464
1106
1231
1122
755
787
289
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
15
WSW
15
WSW
15
W
20
NW
25
NW
35
NW
25
WSW
30
WSW
25
SW
20
SW
15
SW
15
WSW
20
WSW
10
WSW
15
W
15
WNW
5
WNW
10
NNE
10
NW
15
NE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
on
cross
High Tide
4:25PM2.21m
5:05AM2.13m
5:56PM2.19m
6:26AM2.15m
7:08PM2.28m
7:31AM2.25m
8:00PM2.43m
8:23AM2.39m
8:43PM2.59m
9:06AM2.54m
9:21PM2.75m
9:43AM2.69m
9:57PM2.89m
Low Tide
10:01AM0.92m
10:49PM1.07m
11:19AM1.01m
00:17AM1.08m
12:46PM0.98m
1:29AM0.97m
1:49PM0.84m
2:19AM0.80m
2:37PM0.67m
2:59AM0.62m
3:16PM0.49m
3:35AM0.45m
3:51PM0.34m
cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:58
6:56
6:54
6:54
6:52
6:50
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:53
 mm
1
1
4
Temp °C
13
13
12
13
13
13
14
13
13
13
13
12
13
14
13
14
13
12
13
14
12
Feels °C
9
9
9
9
9
8
7
8
7
7
7
8
10
11
10
11
10
11
11
12
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Raglan-Manu Bay:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Raglan-Manu Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest