Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Bonza Bay and, honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The river mouth is our only real option on the cards, and it’s a fairly consistent setup, but the wind and swell aren’t playing nice for most of this run. There’s a big gap of nothing special before we get to anything I’d call a proper session. Let’s get into it.

The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a couple of degrees cooler than it should be for this time of year – a bit of a shock to the system, so grab a thicker suit.

The first worthwhile surf pops up on Sunday morning, the 9th of August. We’ve got a 4ft SSW swell, with a 14-second period – that’s a nice groundswell with some real punch. The wind is a cross-offshore from the WSW at 16 mph, so the face will be clean. The combined energy is moderate, coming in at 748. It’s a solid option, but it’s not a standout for the whole period. The afternoon gets messy, so aim for the early.

Monday the 10th sees a drop-off. The morning has a 5ft S swell, but it’s a cross-shore wind that’s just not making it pretty. The afternoon is worse. Nothing to write home about.

From Tuesday the 11th through to the following week, it’s a real struggle. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell gets lumpy. Tuesday morning has a 7ft SSE swell with a long 11-second period, but the onshore wind kills it. There’s some serious energy in the water on Tuesday afternoon (1576) and Wednesday (1180), but it’s windy and choppy. The crowd situation at Bonza Bay can be a bit of a problem sometimes, so even when it’s half-decent, you might be sharing waves.

The real standout, the one I’d circle on the calendar, is Sunday the 23rd of August. The morning brings a 5ft SSE swell, period around 10 seconds, and the wind goes glassy – dead calm from the east at 3 mph. That’s the kind of morning you dream about. The combined energy is moderate (776), and the conditions are described as glassy. It’s an intermediate-friendly size, but that clean, offshore wind will make it perfect for anyone who knows what they’re doing. This is the best on offer, no question.

After that, Monday the 24th has a big 6ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, but the cross-shore wind keeps it from being perfect. Still, it’s a lot of energy (2012) and worth a look if you’re keen.

So, overall, there’s a long stretch of average to poor surf from the 9th to the 22nd, but that Sunday the 23rd is a true gem. Keep your eyes on that date.

Rusty.

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