Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, S swell with 2,417 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 10s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) 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 3.0m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, checking in from the local stretch. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some windows for sure.
The overall pattern kicks off with a decent start, then it gets a bit messy through the middle before we see some cleaner conditions returning towards the end of the first week and into the second.
Saturday morning (29th August) is a solid pick. Bonza Bay is a river mouth, and it’s picking up a clean 3ft groundswell from the SSE with a nice 12-second period. The wind is a light northerly, which is a cross-offshore breeze, so the surface will be clean. The combined energy is moderate (235), and it’s got enough shape to be fun. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, but it should be well worth it for a morning session.
Saturday afternoon the swell jumps to 6ft from the east, but the wind swings to a westerly cross-off, keeping it clean. The energy rises to 828, so it’ll have a bit more punch. That’s a solid afternoon.
Sunday morning (30th August) is a wipeout. The wind picks up to 12 mph from the WSW, the swell drops to 4ft, and the period collapses to a short, weak 6 seconds. The energy is only 118. The conditions are poor, so give it a miss.
Monday through Wednesday is a run of marginal to poor conditions. The wind is mostly cross-onshore, and the swell is inconsistent. On Wednesday morning (2nd September) there’s a pulse of 4ft swell from the SSW with a 13-second period and a big energy reading of 867, but the onshore breeze makes it choppy. Not the best.
Thursday morning (3rd September) is back on. A clean 6ft swell from the SSE, light cross-offshore wind from the WSW, and the energy is 354. That’s a solid, clean option for a morning session. The afternoon, however, gets hammered by 28 mph onshore winds, so it’s a no-go.
Friday (4th September) sees the swell get bigger. The morning has 7ft from the SSE with an 8-second period, but the wind is onshore, making it a mess. The afternoon has a 7ft swell from the south with a very long 16-second period, giving a massive 2440 energy reading. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy. This is one for experienced surfers only, and it’s better suited to the point or reef setups than a beach break. A bit of a caveat.
Saturday (5th September) is a write-off with strong winds.
Sunday afternoon (6th September) is a nice surprise. The swell drops to 3ft from the SSW, but the period is a long 14 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. The energy is 441. That’s a clean, small groundswell for a longboard or a fun afternoon session.
After that, the forecast gets pretty grim. From Monday the 7th through to the end of the forecast period, the conditions are mostly poor with choppy winds and small, weak swells. There’s a slight chance of a clean-up on Sunday morning (13th September) with a 4ft swell from the SSW and a long 14-second period, but it’s a week and a half away, so we’ll have to see how it pans out.
The water temperature is about average for this time of year.
So, the standout is Saturday morning (29th August) at Bonza Bay. The best of the rest is Thursday morning (3rd September) .
Stay stoked, and I’ll catch you in the water.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 33°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the SW by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSE 12 | E 10 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
640 | 228 | 666 | 62 | 74 | 108 | 198 | 154 | 142 | 113 | 115 | 189 | 396 | 468 | 841 | 265 | 245 | 188 | 312 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | on |
High Tide | 4:14AM1.98m | 4:31PM2.09m | 4:43AM1.99m | 5:00PM2.10m | 5:12AM1.96m | 5:31PM2.07m | 5:44AM1.89m | 6:04PM1.98m | 6:18AM1.78m | 6:41PM1.85m | 6:59AM1.63m | 7:27PM1.69m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:11PM0.37m | 10:18AM0.30m | 10:39PM0.34m | 10:46AM0.29m | 11:09PM0.34m | 11:15AM0.32m | 11:40PM0.39m | 11:46AM0.39m | 00:14AM0.48m | 12:19PM0.50m | 00:53AM0.62m | 12:59PM0.65m | 1:42AM0.77m | ||||||
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
5:47 | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 9 |
Temp °C | 26 | 33 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 26 | 29 | 28 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSE 6 | SSW 15 |
640 | 520 | 666 | 402 | 188 | 154 | 198 | 154 | 142 | 113 | 115 | 189 | 396 | 468 | 841 | 265 | 109 | 123 | 312 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 12 | E 9 | E 7 | SSW 7 | E 8 | SE 5 | E 8 | SSW 12 | E 9 |
213 | 228 | 133 | 61 | 38 | 10 | 141 | 73 | 33 | 20 | 59 | 81 | 57 | 111 | 49 | 22 | 33 | 88 | 41 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSE 14 | SW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | S 6 | SSE 6 | E 8 | E 8 | — | S 6 | — | S 8 | SSW 8 |
120 | 7 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 31 | 11 | 3 | 49 | 64 | — | 28 | — | 35 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | E 3 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | — | E 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 |
1515 | 1484 | 1367 | 62 | 74 | 108 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 39 | 224 | — | 60 | 245 | 188 | 93 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 237 | 301 | 52 | 0 | 18 | 214 | 0 | 5 | 52 | 107 | 52 | 492 | 273 | 0 | 47 | 1121 |
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.











