
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 7,323 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
Hey, Rusty here. Let’s talk Bonza Bay over the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a ride.
We’ve got some surf straight away. The water is 64°, which is way colder than normal for this time of year – more than 5° down, so that’s real unusual. You’ll need a thick wetsuit.
The first standout is this Saturday morning, July 11th. Glassy conditions with light rain and a clean 7ft southerly swell with a 13-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1425, so there’s real power. That’s gonna make for excellent, punchy waves, but it’s for experienced surfers only – beginners stay out. Saturday afternoon holds a 7ft S swell at 12 seconds, still glassy. Sunday morning, July 12th, stays clean with a 5ft S swell at 12 seconds and glassy conditions – very good.
Sunday afternoon turns ugly with an east wind at 12 mph, cross-onshore, killing the quality. Monday and Tuesday are messy with cross winds and shorter period east swell. Not worth it.
The next real gem is Thursday morning, July 16th. Calm, glassy conditions with a clean 3ft SSW groundswell, 15-second period. That’s a super long period swell, so the waves will have heaps of shape and energy, but at Bonza Bay – a river break – it might run a bit straight. Still, with no wind, it’ll be clean and fun for the experienced.
But the biggest standout is Friday, July 17th. We’re talkin’ a 10ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind is cross-offshore at 20-25 mph. The combined energy is huge – 3600 – but the forecast says the swell is just too big for this break. That’s expert-only, and even then it’s iffy. Saturday morning, July 18th, drops to 8ft S swell, 13 seconds, with clean cross-offshore wind. That’s a better call for strong surfers.
After that, it’s pretty dry. Onshore junk and weak swell from the 19th to the 22nd, with energy dropping to 42. There’s a quick window on Thursday morning, July 23rd, with a glassy 3ft S swell at 14 seconds, but it’s short.
The last chance is Sunday, July 26th. A 7ft SSW swell with a huge 17-second period, combined energy of 2633, but the wind is light cross-onshore. Then Sunday afternoon it jumps to 8ft with a 19-second period and energy over 5000 – that’s massive groundswell. Powerful and long, but that super-long period could make it tricky at the river mouth. For the brave.
So, the best of the bunch is Saturday morning, July 11th – glassy, solid 7ft S swell, excellent conditions. If you miss that, Thursday morning, July 16th, is the next clean option. The end of the run on July 26th has potential, but it’s a long way off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the WSW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1420 | 1229 | 918 | 690 | 371 | 358 | 355 | 533 | 472 | 529 | 473 | 364 | 320 | 280 | 266 | 422 | 465 | 198 | 3506 | 3355 | 2858 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:20PM1.65m | 1:42AM1.87m | 2:19PM1.78m | 2:37AM1.95m | 3:10PM1.91m | 3:26AM2.01m | 3:56PM2.01m | 4:11AM2.03m | 4:40PM2.08m | 4:53AM2.02m | 5:21PM2.09m | 5:33AM1.97m | 6:01PM2.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:21PM0.75m | 8:08AM0.62m | 8:22PM0.65m | 8:57AM0.51m | 9:14PM0.55m | 9:41AM0.42m | 10:01PM0.49m | 10:21AM0.37m | 10:45PM0.46m | 11:00AM0.36m | 11:26PM0.48m | 11:38AM0.39m | 00:06AM0.54m | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 14 | S 14 |
1420 | 1229 | 918 | 690 | 371 | 272 | 355 | 428 | 472 | 529 | 473 | 364 | 320 | 280 | 266 | 233 | 233 | 196 | 94 | 3355 | 2858 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | — | E 10 | E 10 |
5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | 289 | 224 | 175 | 98 | 70 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 84 | 422 | 465 | 173 | — | 69 | 71 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 18 | — | — | SSE 10 | SW 15 | SSW 10 | SSE 9 | SW 9 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SE 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 12 | — | — | 11 | 8 | 136 | 29 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | — | — |
— | — | — | 155 | 286 | 358 | — | 533 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | 198 | 3506 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 273 | 21 | 34 | 249 | 0 | 5 | 52 | 0 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 440 | 301 | 115 |
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.










