Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of coast is looking pretty ordinary for a while. The good news is there are a couple of windows where things might line up, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

First thing’s first, the water’s sitting at 65° which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year—so grab the extra rubber if you’re heading out.

The first real chance to paddle out at Bonza Bay is Monday morning, August 10. There’s a modest 5ft of SSW swell rolling in with a 9-second period, and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze that should keep the face reasonably clean. The combined energy is moderate at 739, so it’s not a day for heroics, but it’s rideable. After that, things get messy pretty quickly.

Tuesday the 11th sees a jump in size—6ft to 7ft—but the wind swings onshore and the period gets long, up to 13 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and while it brings more power, it’s prone to closing out at a river mouth like this. The energy reading is strong (1430 and 1622), but the surface is going to be chopped up, so expect a fight rather than a glide.

The rest of that week and into the weekend is pretty much a write-off. There’s swell on the cards—mostly 4ft to 6ft—but the wind is all over the place, mostly cross or cross-on, and the period is short and weak. A few days have that lumpy, cross-chop look that’ll have you blaming the board instead of the conditions.

Now, here’s the standout. It’s a bit further out, but mark Wednesday morning, August 19 on the calendar. The swell jumps to 8ft from the east with a 9-second period, and the energy meters are lighting up—1927, which is strong. The wind is a cross-shore from the southwest at 12 mph, which is workable. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole window. It’s pushing past the 8ft mark, so this is firmly expert territory—if you’re not confident in solid surf, give it a miss. The quality is still marginal, but this is the one day where it feels like the ocean actually woke up.

After that, the energy fades fast. The 20th and 21st are back to onshore slop. Then the 22nd drops right off—2ft of weak swell, energy down to 88. That’s as flat as it gets.

There’s one more flicker of hope on Monday morning, August 24. A 5ft SSW groundswell with a long 14-second period, and the wind is light and cross. The energy is strong at 914. This is a cleaner, more organised swell, but that long period at a river mouth can be tricky—it might break a bit straight. Still, it’s the best chance for a decent, clean wave in the second week.

So, bottom line: don’t hold your breath for the next few days. The standout is the 19th if you’ve got the skills, and the 24th is the one for the rest of us. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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