Raglan (Manu Bay) Alert Guide

Waikato, New Zealand · part of the Raglan (Manu Bay) spot guide

Raglan is forecast-only — the nearest buoy is thousands of km away — so this is a model-swell alert. Because the swell wraps the point, the height below is open-ocean and the breaking face runs smaller but much longer and more organised.

The forecaster's checklist

1. 1.Want swell from the southwest to west-southwest (about 220–250°) — the long-wall angle; more westerly still works but the walls shorten.
2. 2.Look for long period, 12 seconds and up (ideally 14-to-16), to wrap the point and connect the sections.
3. 3.Read the open-ocean height as a smaller but longer breaking face because of the point wrap — do not quote the model height as the face.
4. 4.Score a light east or southeast offshore, a dawn glass-off or an easterly airstream; west, southwest and northwest are onshore junk.
5. 5.Target mid tide for the all-round session — lower for barrel (mind the rocks), higher for size, connection and safer rock coverage — and factor the crowd on the best swells.

Local winds & tide

Best wind: E–SE offshore (light) — from 70° to 140° (ENE–SE).

Tide-sensitive and section-dependent; mid tide is the safe all-round call, lower is hollower and faster but exposes rock and may not connect, higher is fuller and safer over the boulders on bigger swell.

Dial it in