
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, E swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 14 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, E swell with 2,016 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with SSW 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 (Sep 11) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 9s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty here, and I've got to be straight with you – the outlook for Bonza Bay is a rough ride for the next couple of weeks. Don't get your hopes up for much quality time on the water.
We're looking at a real dry spell to kick things off. From now until about the 13th of September, it's pretty grim. The surf that is showing is weak and messy. On Thursday the 10th, we've got a tiny 4ft easterly swell with a weak energy reading (317), but it's got a cross-on wind ruining it. Nothing worth paddling out for.
Friday the 11th is a total write-off, with the swell dropping right off to 2ft. We finally get some proper swell direction from the SSW, but it's an inconsistent onshore mess. Saturday the 12th sees the energy pick up a bit, especially Saturday afternoon with a 5ft easterly swell and energy hitting 435, but it's a short-period, choppy windswell with cross-onshore winds at 30 km/h. That's a "leave the board in the car" kind of day.
Now, Sunday the 13th is where things get weird. The combined energy jumps massively to 1200, but it's a long-period SSW groundswell of 4ft with a period of 16 seconds coming straight in. That'll be breaking too straight and fast for this setup, and the cross-onshore wind is going to make it a bumpy, frustrating session. On the plus side, the water temperature is 61°, which is a massive 7° colder than normal for this time of year – that's a very unusual chill, so you'll need a thick wetsuit.
The calendar flips to the 14th of September, Monday, and that’s where we see something worth setting an alarm for. The morning is a total no-go – 10ft of easterly swell with huge energy (2902) and strong cross-shore winds. It’s just too big. But the afternoon? That’s the standout. The swell settles to a still-juicy 8ft from the east with a period of 10 seconds, the wind swings to a light northerly cross-offshore at 15 km/h, and it’s described as clean. This is an expert-level session for experienced surfers only (check your local guide for Bonza Bay's difficulty). It’s the best on offer in the whole forecast.
After that Monday high, it’s back to mediocrity. Tuesday the 15th has some 5ft swell but the winds and conditions are only marginal. Wednesday the 16th is blown out by strong 35 km/h winds. The 17th and 18th see more 6ft to 10ft swell, but the winds are either wrong or too strong, and the energy readings are massive but the conditions are terrible.
We get a weird blip on the 21st of September, Monday. The morning has a 4ft, very long-period SSW groundswell (17 seconds – 1311 energy) with a cross-shore breeze, giving marginal conditions. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-offshore wind and 6ft swell, but it's still only a marginal call.
Bottom line: the only real window for a proper surf is Monday, the 14th of September, in the afternoon. Everything else is either too small, too messy, too big, or blown to bits. If you're a beginner, stay home for the next two weeks. If you're a seasoned local, circle that Monday afternoon on your calendar.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 26°C on Thu morning, min 17°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Sun night, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 6 | S 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
269 | 194 | 273 | 131 | 96 | 261 | 148 | 200 | 565 | 758 | 566 | 1064 | 1566 | 1387 | 935 | 578 | 502 | 371 | 220 | 320 | 312 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:25PM2.08m | 3:40AM1.98m | 3:57PM2.13m | 4:11AM2.00m | 4:28PM2.13m | 4:39AM1.98m | 4:56PM2.08m | 5:07AM1.92m | 5:24PM1.99m | 5:33AM1.83m | 5:49PM1.86m | 5:59AM1.71m | 6:14PM1.72m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:11AM0.34m | 9:36PM0.32m | 9:42AM0.27m | 10:06PM0.29m | 10:11AM0.24m | 10:34PM0.30m | 10:39AM0.27m | 11:02PM0.35m | 11:07AM0.33m | 11:28PM0.43m | 11:34AM0.44m | 11:56PM0.53m | 12:01PM0.57m | 00:24AM0.66m | |||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 14 |
Temp °C | 26 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 25 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 13 | 11 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
269 | 194 | 135 | 115 | 84 | 73 | 107 | 70 | 565 | 758 | 474 | 293 | 1199 | 1387 | 935 | 578 | 502 | 371 | 220 | 190 | 158 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | S 5 | S 6 | SE 14 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 11 | S 9 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
30 | 121 | 273 | 27 | 31 | 8 | 63 | 85 | 51 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 137 | 89 | 70 | 69 | 62 | 56 | 115 | 169 | 188 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 14 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SE 7 | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | SW 20 | SSW 16 | — | — |
18 | 13 | 5 | 131 | 96 | 8 | 10 | 80 | 14 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 97 | 153 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | — | SE 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | SSW 6 | S 7 |
— | 16 | 23 | — | — | 261 | 148 | 200 | 510 | 432 | 566 | 1064 | 1566 | — | — | — | — | — | 62 | 320 | 312 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 52 | 23 | 52 | 129 | 357 | 455 | 885 | 455 | 455 | 455 | 439 | 239 | 0 | 25 | 18 | 19 | 0 | 301 | 239 | 99 |
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.










