Bonza Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.99° S 27.94° E

Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bonza Bay sea temperature is
18.8°C
0.9° 

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


Bonza Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 3,853 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period with S 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Bonza Bay in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 9s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Mon 24th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 15s
Best Surf 8AM (Tue 25th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 26th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, grab your board, let's see what's cookin' for Bonza Bay over the next couple of weeks. I'm lookin' at the charts and, honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We've got some serious size comin', but you're gonna have to be patient and pick your moments.

The first real chance to get wet doesn't show up until Monday morning, August 24th. It's small, with knee-to-waist high waves around 3ft from the south. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it'll be a bit bumpy, nothin' special. Energy is low-to-moderate (204). The water temp is sittin' at 66°, which is a touch cooler than normal for this time of year.

Tuesday the 25th sees an upgrade in size and quality. The morning looks pretty good with chest-high 4ft south swell but with a very long 17-second period. That's a proper groundswell, loads of energy (1120), and it's gonna wrap in nicely. The wind is light and cross-shore, which isn't perfect, but it'll be workable. Afternoon gets a little bigger at 5ft from the SSW, but the wind picks up and brings a bit of chop.

Wednesday the 26th is where it gets tricky. The swell jumps up to 6ft in the morning with offshore wind, but it's rainy and the period is still that super long 17 seconds. This kind of long-period energy at a river mouth can make things a bit straight and fast. By the afternoon, it's 8ft and onshore, completely blown out. That's a pass.

We then hit a real dry spell for a few days. Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th have size, but the wind is howling from the NE at 28 to 31 mph, turning the ocean into a washing machine. Not worth paddling out at all. The same story continues into the weekend of the 29th and 30th – messy, lumpy, and onshore. Heads up, the wind on the 29th drops the swell to a measly 2ft. There's a serious gap of poor conditions from Wednesday afternoon right through to Sunday.

Things finally look interesting again on Monday afternoon, August 31st. The wind swings offshore from the west, and we get a clean 6ft SSW swell. The period is a short, wind-swell 8 seconds, but with light offshore winds and clean conditions, the sets will be fun and punchy. This is one of the better windows in the first week.

Now, for the true standout. Get this circled on your calendar for Thursday, September 3rd. The morning session is looking *perfect*. We have a solid 8ft to 12ft SSW groundswell with a 13-second period. That's massive wave energy (5912)! And the wind is light offshore from the west. This is a clean, powerful, stand-out day. However, at over 8ft, this is strictly for the experts. The river mouth could handle this size, but the paddle out will be a mission. If you're not a seasoned charger, just watch from the beach.

Friday, September 4th and Saturday the 5th are also pumping, with 10ft to 12ft swells and clean offshore winds, but again, the size is too big for all but the gnarliest locals.

The second week is hit-and-miss. We see a pulse of energy on Tuesday, September 8th with a 7ft S swell, an incredibly long 18-second period, and offshore wind. That's another proper groundswell, but at that period and size, it's only for the very experienced on a boat or at a reef.

So, to wrap it up: the real winner for the everyday surfer is Monday afternoon, August 31st, for a clean, post-work session. For the big-wave crew, the morning of Thursday, September 3rd, is the highlight of the whole forecast. Don't be fooled by the big numbers mid-week; the wind will ruin it for most days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the ENE by Wed night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night).

Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
3
3
3
3
2
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
0
3
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
S
8
1
S
11
1.3
SSW
15
1.1
S
17
1.6
SSW
16
1.4
SSW
14
1.8
S
17
2.5
S
17
2.1
S
13
1.4
S
12
1.5
S
12
2.5
E
9
2
E
10
2.1
E
10
2.1
E
10
2.1
E
10
0.5
S
11
2.3
E
11
1.8
E
11
1.7
E
11
1.5
E
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
112
244
785
708
1271
763
1887
3853
1567
584
667
1087
776
873
918
900
64
1230
736
670
533
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
10
S
5
W
10
SSW
15
SSW
10
W
10
SE
25
E
35
ENE
45
NE
50
NE
20
NE
20
NE
25
NE
20
NE
20
NE
30
NE
15
NNE
15
SSW
20
SSW
20
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-on
High Tide
2:17PM1.58m
2:20AM1.63m
2:46PM1.72m
2:50AM1.74m
3:12PM1.84m
3:18AM1.85m
3:38PM1.95m
3:46AM1.93m
4:04PM2.03m
4:14AM1.98m
4:31PM2.09m
4:43AM1.99m
5:00PM2.10m
Low Tide
8:18PM0.81m
8:30AM0.65m
8:48PM0.68m
8:58AM0.53m
9:16PM0.55m
9:25AM0.43m
9:44PM0.45m
9:52AM0.35m
10:11PM0.37m
10:18AM0.30m
10:39PM0.34m
10:46AM0.29m
11:09PM0.34m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
5:47
5:49
 mm
1
2
3
1
Temp °C
18
19
17
17
18
17
18
17
18
18
19
19
30
32
29
31
26
26
20
21
20
Feels °C
16
17
17
16
16
15
17
14
12
12
12
18
27
29
25
27
23
22
19
20
18
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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