
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 13 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, S swell with 1,422 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. 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 2.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Bonza Bay.
The next two weeks are a mixed bag. We’ve got a real slow start, then a few windows where it gets interesting, but you’ll need to be patient. The water is sitting at 65°, which is more than 2 degrees colder than it should be for this time of year – that’s a notable chill, so don’t forget the thick rubber.
The first real action doesn’t kick in until Tuesday morning, the 14th of July. The wind goes dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and we’ve got a solid 6 ft easterly swell with a 9-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 593. That’s the kind of session where you’ll be frothing – clean, lined up, and no wind to mess it up. It holds through the afternoon too, with a light SE breeze keeping it glassy.
Wednesday morning, the 15th, sees the swell drop a touch to 5 ft, but the wind picks up and goes cross-shore, making it feel a bit lumpy. The energy drops to 460. It’s surfable, but nothing special.
Then we hit a bit of a lull – Thursday the 16th has a glassy morning with 4 ft waves, but the afternoon gets messy with a cross-on wind. Friday and Saturday the 17th and 18th are mostly blown out or choppy, with the Saturday morning seeing a bigger 7 ft south swell but with onshore wind and a massive energy reading of 1436 – that’s strong, but it’s messy, more for the kite crowd than a paddle surfer.
Now, Sunday the 19th is a standout. The morning is dead calm, glassy again, with a clean 5 ft southerly swell, period of 11 seconds, and energy at 762. That’s a beautiful setup for a long session. The afternoon gets a bit of cross-shore wind, but the morning is the pick.
The following week has a few more marginal days, but the real standout is Thursday the 23rd of July. That morning, we’re looking at a 10 ft southwest swell with a 14-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is off the charts at 4601. But here’s the thing: that’s too big for this break. It’s predicted to be overpowering for the setup here. Unless you’re a seasoned expert, give it a miss. The afternoon drops to 6 ft, which is more manageable, but still a strong swell.
After that, the last few days of the month are small and mostly choppy or blown out, with a tiny 2 ft day on the 27th. Not worth paddling out for.
In short, the best windows are Tuesday morning and afternoon the 14th, and Sunday morning the 19th – those are your clean, glassy sessions. The Thursday the 23rd morning is for experts only, if anyone’s brave enough.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | SSW 14 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
350 | 412 | 529 | 544 | 524 | 432 | 392 | 345 | 317 | 427 | 252 | 196 | 189 | 1280 | 1346 | 1187 | 827 | 640 | 485 | 237 | 505 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 6:11AM1.89m | 6:41PM1.98m | 6:49AM1.78m | 7:21PM1.88m | 7:28AM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:14PM0.46m | 00:46AM0.63m | 12:51PM0.56m | 1:26AM0.74m | 1:29PM0.67m | |||||||
— | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | |
5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | 5:22 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 |
172 | 412 | 529 | 544 | 524 | 432 | 392 | 345 | 317 | 317 | 252 | 196 | 156 | 1280 | 1346 | 1187 | 827 | 640 | 485 | 237 | 349 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 7 | E 7 | E 9 | SSE 13 | SE 12 |
3 | 98 | 45 | 44 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 100 | 194 | 427 | 220 | 192 | 189 | 121 | 90 | — | 184 | 108 | 79 | 114 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 10 | S 17 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | S 10 | — | S 16 | — | — | — | SSE 15 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | E 9 | E 9 |
8 | 8 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 78 | 150 | 4 | 2 | — | 21 | — | — | — | 169 | 7 | 15 | 43 | 27 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | NE 8 | — | — | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 | SW 8 | — | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 5 | — | — | E 5 | — | SW 3 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SW 9 |
350 | 298 | — | — | — | 4 | 13 | 341 | — | — | — | 2 | 34 | — | — | 100 | — | 7 | 56 | 88 | 505 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 435 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 249 | 0 | 52 | 301 | 23 | 23 | 492 | 249 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 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.











