
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 589 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 8AM. 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 Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be real about the next couple of weeks at Bonza Bay. This is a river mouth setup, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some energy coming through, but the wind is going to be a persistent headache for most of the run. The water temp is sitting around 66°, which is just a touch cooler than average for this time of year, nothing too wild.
The first real window of surf we see kicks off on Tuesday, the 8th of September. We’ve got a 5ft swell rolling in from the east with a short, weak period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 532, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy. It’s not great, and the afternoon just gets messier. Wednesday and Thursday are much the same story—small, short-period east swell getting chopped up by the wind. The scores are low here.
We hit a bit of a lull in quality through the middle of the week. Friday the 11th sees a 14-second groundswell from the south-southwest, but it’s tiny at 2ft. The energy is still weak at 200, and the wind is cross-onshore again. It’s a tease. The weekend continues with the same pattern: wind-ruffled east swell around 4ft to 5ft, but the period is short and the conditions are poor.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but not for the faint of heart. On Friday the 18th of September, the swell really fires up. We’re looking at a massive 15ft swell from the south-southeast with a solid 11-second period. The combined energy is a beastly 4994. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, which would be perfect, but honestly, the swell is way too big for this river break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s pushing the limits. The same goes for Saturday the 19th with 10ft swell. Unless you’re a pro, sit this one out.
The final stand-out, and the only one I’d really call a proper surf session for the average surfer, is on Sunday the 20th of September. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the southeast, with a 12-second period that gives it some punch. The combined energy is still strong at 1621. But the real kicker is the wind: a fresh 19 mph offshore breeze from the west-southwest. That’s going to groom the waves into clean, lined-up walls. This is your best bet, but it’s still a big, powerful swell, so it’s one for the experienced crew. Expect crowds here, as it’s the only really clean window in the whole 16 days.
After that, we go back to the same old story: choppy, cross-onshore wind and diminishing swell through the end of the month. Not much to write home about.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 21°C on Sat afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 8 | SSE 10 | E 9 | SSE 10 | SSW 14 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 7 | E 9 | E 6 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
264 | 270 | 108 | 257 | 32 | 40 | 281 | 207 | 348 | 175 | 96 | 82 | 287 | 182 | 428 | 540 | 381 | 336 | 135 | 266 | 432 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:12PM1.81m | 2:31AM1.81m | 2:51PM1.97m | 3:07AM1.91m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:01AM0.60m | 8:28PM0.54m | 8:38AM0.45m | 9:04PM0.41m | 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 | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 23 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | S 9 | E 8 |
264 | 270 | 290 | 257 | 311 | 318 | 281 | 207 | 173 | 110 | 106 | 78 | 57 | 37 | 428 | 540 | 291 | 257 | 151 | 93 | 432 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | E 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SE 8 | SSW 12 | S 11 |
202 | 139 | 108 | 57 | 32 | 40 | 30 | 119 | 348 | 175 | 96 | 79 | 63 | 61 | 78 | 60 | 381 | 336 | 65 | 83 | 64 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | SSW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 6 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | E 9 | SE 7 | SE 11 | S 8 | SE 8 | SSW 13 | — | S 8 |
66 | 59 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 36 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 82 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 5 | 50 | 67 | 135 | — | 32 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SW 4 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | — | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | E 8 | ENE 8 |
414 | 492 | 516 | 490 | 563 | 656 | 12 | 94 | 23 | 20 | — | 243 | 287 | 182 | 167 | 243 | — | — | — | 266 | 933 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 249 | 24 | 19 | 249 | 19 | 173 | 52 | 22 | 249 | 439 | 124 | 249 | 318 | 273 | 455 | 455 | 19 | 273 | 273 | 54 |
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.










