Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, ESE swell with 4,320 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s 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 28) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 12s. 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 2AM. 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+) | 8AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Bonza Bay. This is a river mouth set-up that’s exposed to the south, and when it’s on, it’s a gem. But we’ve got a long 16-day window, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.
Right now, the water temp is ticking along pretty average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.
The first surf worth paddling out for lands on Friday morning, 28 August. The swell is a solid 6 ft out of the east with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 997, so there’s some grunt. Winds are light from the NE—cross, so it’s a bit raggedy. This is a marginal call, but it’s the first bit of action, and the tide might be a factor, so take it as an early morning gamble if you’re keen.
Saturday morning, 29 August, is where things clean up nicely. Swell holds around 6 ft from the east, period bumps to 10 seconds, and the wind shifts north at 9 mph, blowing cross-offshore. The water gets clean, and the energy is still decent at 827. This is your best bet of the first week—clean, friendly, and the crowds will be around sometimes, but it’s worth it.
After that, the surf takes a nosedive. Sunday through the end of the first week, we see small, weak, choppy waves and poor conditions. There’s a gap of about four to five days with nothing really worth recommending. The swell drops to under 3 ft, periods are short, and the wind is messy.
There’s a bit of a pick-up around Wednesday morning, 2 September, with 4 ft from the east and a strong cross-off wind from the WSW at 22 mph—clean but still only moderate energy (490). The swell is a bit short-period and the quality rating doesn’t match the wind conditions, so it’s not a standout. Thursday, 3 September, gets a pulse of southerly swell at 5 ft with a long period of 14 seconds (energy 1094), but the wind is cross-onshore and lumpy, so it’s not inviting.
Now, the big one that will get your heart pumping is Saturday morning, 5 September. We’ve got a massive 16 ft easterly swell, period 12 seconds, and a staggering combined energy of 6979. Winds are NE at 22 mph—cross, so it’s lumpy. The swell is predicted to be too big for this break, so unless you’re an expert and looking for a mission, this is more for the tow crew. The afternoon cleans up slightly with a light cross-off, but at 15 ft, it’s still very large.
Sunday morning, 6 September, drops to 8 ft from the east, period 11 seconds, with a gentle cross breeze—marginal but rideable for strong intermediates. Things then taper off into smaller, cleaner but weaker surf for the rest of the week.
The standout of the entire outlook is Saturday morning, 29 August. That’s your clean, manageable, fun session. If you’re a more experienced surfer and want a big challenge, keep an eye on 5 September—but that’s only for experts.
Overall, there are a few days where conditions line up, but it’s not a classic run. The first week gives you one good morning, and the second week is either too big or too weak for consistent quality. Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 34°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Sun afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the WSW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 11 | S 11 | SSW 6 | SW 10 | SSW 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
575 | 565 | 614 | 653 | 596 | 130 | 61 | 57 | 28 | 56 | 154 | 115 | 142 | 90 | 189 | 264 | 181 | 469 | 2479 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:46AM1.93m | 4:04PM2.03m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.45m | 9:52AM0.35m | 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 | ||||||
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
5:46 | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 22 | 32 | 30 | 26 | 34 | 30 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 18 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 30 | 27 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 13 | E 8 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
742 | 565 | 614 | 653 | 596 | 739 | 402 | 196 | 157 | 204 | 154 | 115 | 142 | 90 | 189 | 264 | 181 | 469 | 2479 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 6 | SSE 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | E 9 |
575 | 339 | 279 | 260 | 224 | 130 | 61 | 40 | 9 | 56 | 82 | 51 | 26 | 22 | 1 | 246 | 172 | 238 | 56 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 11 | SW 10 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | S 9 | — | — | ENE 9 | — |
— | 93 | 125 | 120 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 38 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 30 | 50 | 2 | — | — | 108 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | ENE 4 | ENE 6 | — | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | — |
1342 | 969 | 1090 | 1697 | 1275 | 1478 | 61 | 57 | 27 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 245 | — | 137 | 216 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 435 | 238 | 23 | 23 | 52 | 5 | 435 | 0 | 249 | 249 | 129 | 669 | 440 | 23 |
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.











