Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, ESE swell with 708 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bonza Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bonza Bay in the next 16 days are 2.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Bonza Bay is a river-mouth setup, and looking at the next 16 days, it’s a real mixed bag. We’ve got a lot of wind and chop to fight through, but there are a couple of windows that are worth paddling out for.
The pattern starts off rough. Wednesday through to the end of the first week is mostly a write-off with cross-onshore and cross-shore winds in the 15 to 22 mph range, a lot of lumpy, messy conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 66°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker suit.
The first real standout pops up on Saturday, 15th August. The morning session is the pick of the early period. Swell is 4ft from the East, with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind is glassy—absolutely clean. The combined energy is moderate at 238, so it’s not pumping, but it’s going to be fun and uncrowded. The wind is light from the East at only 3 mph, making for some super smooth faces. This is the one to aim for if you want a relaxed, clean session.
After that, we go into a dry spell. Sunday through to the following Wednesday is filled with cross-shore winds and poor conditions. The swell sticks around, but the wind just ruins it.
The next real highlight is on Thursday, 20th August. The morning is looking excellent. We’ve got a 6ft East swell with a short period of 6 seconds, but the wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW at 9 mph, making it clean. Combined energy is a strong 684, so there’s plenty of push. This is a bigger, more powerful day, but with the cross-off wind, it’ll be well-shaped and clean. This is the best of the whole outlook for the more experienced crew.
The following Saturday, 22nd August, has a promising morning with a 5ft SSW groundswell (16-second period) and a combined energy of 1106, so there’s serious grunt. But it’s a cross-shore wind, and the period is long, so at a river-mouth, it might be a bit too straight and fast. The afternoon is cleaner with a cross-off wind, but the swell drops to 4ft.
Overall, the best on offer is the glassy, clean Saturday morning on the 15th for a mellow, fun session, and the bigger, more powerful Thursday morning on the 20th for the rippers who want a clean, punchy wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | ESE 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 588 | 549 | 535 | 269 | 437 | 270 | 230 | 458 | 299 | 193 | 113 | 131 | 203 | 310 | 421 | 379 | 279 | 230 | 116 | 198 | 157 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:45PM2.06m | 4:00AM2.01m | 4:22PM2.13m | 4:35AM2.02m | 4:58PM2.14m | 5:09AM1.99m | 5:31PM2.10m | 5:40AM1.92m | 6:03PM2.01m | 6:10AM1.82m | 6:34PM1.89m | 6:40AM1.70m | 7:05PM1.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:30AM0.38m | 9:53PM0.40m | 10:06AM0.31m | 10:30PM0.36m | 10:39AM0.28m | 11:03PM0.37m | 11:11AM0.30m | 11:35PM0.43m | 11:41AM0.37m | 00:07AM0.52m | 12:12PM0.47m | 00:38AM0.63m | 12:42PM0.60m | 1:11AM0.76m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | |  | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | E 9 | ESE 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | E 7 | SW 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 7 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 195 | 191 | 375 | 266 | 437 | 270 | 230 | 60 | 299 | 193 | 108 | 131 | 203 | 310 | 421 | 379 | 279 | 230 | 56 | 198 | 157 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 23 | SSW 21 | SE 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 12 | E 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | S 5 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 106 | 180 | 84 | 255 | 138 | 15 | 99 | 2 | 44 | 41 | 113 | 123 | 129 | 160 | 10 | 9 | 41 | 10 | 116 | 35 | 42 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | S 10 | SSW 22 | S 10 | S 12 | S 9 | S 11 | S 8 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | S 18 | SW 13 | S 5 | SSE 5 | — |
| kJ | 28 | — | 106 | 265 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 42 | 4 | 5 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | — | SW 6 | SSW 5 | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 588 | 549 | 535 | 269 | 286 | 243 | 356 | 458 | 507 | — | 244 | 225 | 228 | 450 | — | 50 | 21 | — | — | 12 | 69 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 492 | 492 | 24 | 321 | 435 | 273 | 54 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 237 | 19 | 5 | 435 | 0 | 301 | 52 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bonza Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bonza Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bonza Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bonza 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 (Bonza 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 Bonza 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.
Bonza Bay is 7 km (4 miles) from the city of East London. If you plan a holiday in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in East London. East London has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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