
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period, S swell with 3,164 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 2.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 2AM. 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, grab a coffee and settle in – let's have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for Bonza Bay.
Overall, we're in for a bit of a mixed bag. The first week or so is pretty disappointing, with a bunch of days where conditions are just messy or the swell is mismatched. There’s a bit of a wait for the real magic, but a couple of sessions towards the end of the run look like they could be absolute crackers. The water temp is sitting at about 66°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest steamer.
The first real chance to get wet is on Thursday the 3rd of September, first thing. We've got a clean 3 ft southerly swell rolling in, and with a glassy 5 km/h SSW wind, the river mouth at Bonza Bay should be looking clean and inviting. The energy is moderate (276) but it's a nice little starter.
That clean window slams shut by the afternoon as the wind swings and picks up, and we're looking at a whole lot of jumbled up, choppy conditions right through until at least the 8th of September. There's some decent size in the water on Friday the 4th – up to 12 ft from the SSE – but with a strong onshore wind that's all for the kite crew, not paddle surfing. There's a lot of swell energy during this period (the combined energy readings sit between 647 and 1973) but the quality just isn't there.
We get a small breather on the morning of Tuesday the 8th with some 6 ft east swell, but the wind is still cross to onshore, keeping things fairly choppy. It’s a marginal call at best. Conditions stay average for the next few days, with the swell dipping right down and staying messy through the 10th and 11th of September. Those afternoons have some energy (up to 524) but poor wind ruins it.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout period looks to be around the 13th and 14th of September, but you’ve got to be selective. On the 13th, a big 10 ft southerly groundswell pushes in for the afternoon, and the wind is a feathery light cross-onshore (10 km/h easterly), which would normally be incredible, but this swell is simply too damn big for Bonza Bay. The energy reading is a massive 2346. That one is an experts-only wave if you've got the nerve and a boat, and even then it's a maybe. The following morning, Monday the 14th, sees even more size – 12 ft from the south at a very long 16 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 5605, but again, it's just too much juice for the break and the wind turns fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy and unruly.
The real pick of the entire forecast, the one you want to circle in your calendar, is the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th of September. The swell drops back to a manageable 4 ft from the SSE, but check this out – it's a long-period groundswell (15 seconds) and the wind goes absolutely glassy from the NE at just 5 km/h. For a river mouth setup like this, that long period combined with that level of glass is a recipe for clean, lined-up walls. The energy is still high at 1471, suggesting plenty of push for that size. This could be an absolutely unreal session for anyone with a bit of experience.
After that brief moment of glory, things go sour again. From the 16th onwards it’s back to messy, onshore conditions and poor surf right through to the end of the forecast window. The 17th of September is a write-off with strong winds and a big, lumpy 8 ft swell, and the 18th offers a short window of clean but small surf.
Bottom line: This is a month of two halves. You can get a few small clean waves on the morning of the 3rd, but the absolute gold is the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th of September. That glassy, long-period swell is the one to chase. The big days on the 13th and 14th are for the brave and the skilled only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 24 | SSW 21 | S 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
260 | 432 | 1145 | 1878 | 1288 | 392 | 532 | 345 | 319 | 319 | 1032 | 3164 | 504 | 280 | 220 | 476 | 495 | 473 | 372 | 269 | 220 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:27PM1.69m | 7:54AM1.47m | 8:39PM1.51m | 9:44AM1.36m | 10:55PM1.43m | 12:10PM1.43m | 00:47AM1.52m | 1:25PM1.62m | 1:47AM1.67m | 2:12PM1.81m | 2:31AM1.81m | 2:51PM1.97m | 3:07AM1.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:59PM0.65m | 1:42AM0.77m | 1:55PM0.83m | 3:05AM0.92m | 3:53PM0.97m | 5:44AM0.92m | 6:35PM0.89m | 7:13AM0.77m | 7:44PM0.71m | 8:01AM0.60m | 8:28PM0.54m | 8:38AM0.45m | 9:04PM0.41m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 23 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 24 | 21 |
Feels °C | 24 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | E 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 21 | S 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
260 | 335 | 42 | 102 | 1288 | 392 | 532 | 285 | 319 | 239 | 1032 | 3164 | 504 | 280 | 220 | 476 | 495 | 473 | 372 | 269 | 220 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 8 | SW 12 | ESE 11 | E 10 | S 9 | S 13 | S 11 | SE 7 | SSW 24 | S 10 | SSE 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 13 |
16 | 36 | 175 | 48 | 67 | 320 | 112 | 345 | 65 | 319 | 158 | 42 | 481 | 215 | 104 | 171 | 160 | 79 | 47 | 25 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 5 | — | ESE 11 | S 17 | S 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 7 | SSE 13 | — | — | S 20 | — | SW 13 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 8 |
36 | 8 | — | 47 | 22 | 104 | 17 | 17 | 47 | 22 | 58 | — | — | 7 | — | 44 | 11 | 26 | 22 | 41 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | — | — | ESE 8 | — | E 6 | E 5 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | — |
— | 432 | 1145 | 1878 | — | — | 454 | — | 41 | 90 | 139 | 303 | 514 | 886 | 694 | 802 | 802 | 721 | 809 | 474 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 129 | 192 | 1121 | 3000 | 404 | 455 | 455 | 124 | 455 | 455 | 455 | 273 | 273 | 99 | 19 | 476 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 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.










