Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, E swell with 610 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 8PM.
| 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 (Sun 16th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Bonza Bay is a tough one for us paddle surfers. The overall story is a whole lot of messy, onshore or cross-shore wind, and not much in the way of a quality wave. We’re looking at a long stretch of below-par conditions, so don’t get your hopes up for any epic sessions.
The first real chance to even think about a wave comes this week, but it’s not pretty. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th have some solid long-period groundswell arriving, with that combined energy sitting at 804 on Thursday morning and 825 in the afternoon – that’s a lot of power. But the wind is a fresh cross-shore, gusting up to 19 mph, and the reports are calling it “poor surf conditions” and “lumpy cross-chop.” That’s just not ridable with any sort of pleasure. The swell is a tiny 2 ft to 3 ft, but that energy is there, wasted.
We get a bit of a break around Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th, but it’s still marginal. On Saturday morning, we’ve got a 4 ft easterly swell with a light cross-shore breeze, but the period drops to 8 seconds, which is short and weak. The combined energy is only 220. It’s still a “marginal” call. Sunday morning is a bit cleaner with a light cross-offshore wind from the SW on the 19th, but again, the swell is small at 5 ft and the period is 10 seconds. The energy is moderate at 456, but it’s still a marginal forecast.
The real issue is that from the 13th right through to the 22nd, there’s not a single day where the wind and swell line up properly. We’ve got a run of “poor” or “marginal” ratings. The wind is almost always a cross-shore or cross-onshore, and often fresh or strong. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there.
The only standout, if you can call it one, is Saturday morning, 22 August. We’ve got a 5 ft easterly swell with a light cross-onshore wind from the south. The combined energy is strong at 706. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is still onshore, so it’s not going to be clean. It’s a “marginal” forecast. For a river break like Bonza Bay, this much swell with a cross-onshore wind is going to be a bumpy, choppy mess. Honestly, with that much swell and the wind setup, this spot looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
After that, we see a bit of a swell pulse on the 26th, but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-shore wind from the NE at 19-22 mph and a combined energy of 786. That’s a lot of power, but the wind will ruin it. The period is 10 seconds, which is okay, but the wind is just too strong.
So, the bottom line: there’s no day in this 16-day window that offers a proper, clean, quality surf session at Bonza Bay. The best you can hope for is a marginal, choppy wave on a day like the 22nd. The blank run is pretty much the whole period. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game. Hang tight.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Thu afternoon, calm by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
427 | 265 | 437 | 270 | 242 | 424 | 314 | 196 | 111 | 252 | 121 | 308 | 212 | 361 | 296 | 194 | 148 | 113 | 110 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:53PM0.40m | 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 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
5:37 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | SSW 17 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | E 7 | SSW 15 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 10 | E 7 | E 11 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 |
427 | 255 | 437 | 270 | 242 | 93 | 314 | 196 | 86 | 252 | 70 | 308 | 212 | 361 | 296 | 194 | 148 | 113 | 101 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SSW 22 | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 16 | S 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 9 | SSW 13 | E 10 | SSW 12 | E 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
63 | 265 | 138 | 15 | 99 | 2 | 43 | 21 | 111 | 17 | 121 | 14 | 185 | 21 | 20 | 65 | 24 | 81 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 9 | S 11 | S 8 | S 13 | SSW 14 | S 11 | E 12 | S 10 | SSW 11 | SW 15 | — | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | — | — |
106 | 31 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 105 | 2 | 12 | 77 | — | 30 | 44 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 8 | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SW 3 | — | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | — | SW 5 | SSW 4 | — | S 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 |
— | 253 | 219 | 247 | 355 | 424 | 559 | 2 | — | 105 | 118 | 110 | — | 25 | 11 | — | 1 | 94 | 110 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 360 | 439 | 273 | 24 | 255 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 54 | 239 | 0 | 52 | 5 | 19 | 187 | 52 | 4 |
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.











