
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 4,911 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period with ESE 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 (Aug 03) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. 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 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty, and here’s the surf outlook for Bonza Bay.
Right off the bat, Bonza Bay is a river-mouth setup that’s exposed to the south. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The 16-day period kicks off with a bit of a wait—there’s no real surf to get excited about from Sunday, August 2nd, through to Tuesday, August 5th. The swell is there, around 5ft to 8ft from the ESE, but the wind is cross or cross-shore all the way, and the wave comment keeps saying “marginal.” It’s just not clean enough to bother with. That’s a solid few days of nothing.
Then, on Wednesday morning, August 5th, we get a little window. The swell drops to 4ft from the east, period at 10 seconds, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNE. That’s clean, and the wave energy is moderate at 341. It’s not a standout, but it’s a start. The afternoon sees the cross-off breeze fade to a cross-shore, so the morning is the pick of that day.
Thursday, August 6th, is a write-off—cloudy, cross-shore winds, and a messy SSW swell. Not worth the paddle.
But hold onto your board, because Friday, August 7th, is the real gem. The morning is glassy—wind from the ESE at 3 mph, dead calm, and the swell comes in at 3ft from the south with a period of 12 seconds. The wave energy is moderate at 507, and the comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the standout of the whole outlook. Clean, glassy, and fun-sized. Get on it.
Saturday morning, August 8th, is also glassy, with a light SSW swell at 3ft and a 14-second period, giving moderate energy at 447. It’s another clean session, but the swell is smaller.
Now, Sunday, August 9th, is a big one—but not for paddling. The morning brings a massive 13ft SW swell with a 13-second period and wave energy screaming at 6713. The wind is gentle cross-shore, but the comment says it’s too big for this break. That’s a kite surfer’s dream, not a surfer’s. The afternoon gets worse with a 22 mph cross-shore wind and 7ft swell. Skip it.
Monday, August 10th, is messy in the morning, but the afternoon shows some promise: light rain, wind from the west at 9 mph cross-offshore, and a 5ft east swell with a short 8-second period. The wave energy is moderate at 592, and the comment is “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s a short-period swell, so it’s not the best shape, but it’s clean.
Tuesday through Thursday, August 11th to 13th, is a total mess. Heavy rain, onshore winds, and massive swells up to 13ft. The energy is through the roof—over 5000 in some cases—but the wind is onshore and strong, making it a no-go. The swell is too big and too windy for anything safe.
Then Friday, August 14th, is a cracker. The morning gives us a 7ft SE swell with a 10-second period, offshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph, and wave energy at 1154. The comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a solid, clean, and powerful wave for the confident crew. The size is over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, but it’s a standout.
The rest of the period fades out. Saturday, August 15th, is small and cross-shore, Sunday, August 16th, has a glassy morning with 4ft east swell and 9-second period—clean but small—and then Monday, August 17th, drops to nothing.
So, to wrap it up: the best session is Friday morning, August 7th—glassy and clean. The second standout is Friday morning, August 14th, for the experienced surfers. Everything else is a mix of marginal or too big.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed night, calm by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1622 | 1541 | 1141 | 972 | 806 | 551 | 425 | 608 | 500 | 267 | 262 | 295 | 252 | 452 | 491 | 299 | 573 | 425 | 351 | 381 | 2683 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:01PM2.00m | 6:10AM1.85m | 6:35PM1.95m | 6:46AM1.76m | 7:15PM1.87m | 7:28AM1.65m | 8:04PM1.76m | 8:25AM1.52m | 9:12PM1.64m | 9:56AM1.42m | 10:53PM1.58m | 11:56AM1.45m | 00:35AM1.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:43AM0.43m | 00:08AM0.54m | 12:14PM0.48m | 00:45AM0.60m | 12:49PM0.56m | 1:26AM0.69m | 1:30PM0.67m | 2:20AM0.80m | 2:26PM0.80m | 3:40AM0.90m | 3:57PM0.91m | 5:38AM0.90m | 6:03PM0.90m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 12 |
1622 | 1541 | 1141 | 972 | 806 | 551 | 425 | 608 | 500 | 267 | 262 | 183 | 148 | 452 | 491 | 299 | 573 | 425 | 351 | 381 | 1465 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | ENE 6 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
31 | 31 | 35 | 121 | 104 | 95 | 57 | 56 | 31 | 30 | 71 | 295 | 252 | 117 | 90 | 62 | 60 | 54 | 61 | 68 | 48 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 14 | S 13 | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 15 | SW 11 | SSW 9 | SSW 5 | S 21 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | — | E 9 | E 6 | — | — |
13 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | 6 | 44 | 29 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 62 | 146 | — | 43 | 27 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | — | ENE 6 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SSW 4 | — | — | E 4 | ENE 6 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | SW 11 |
— | — | — | — | 15 | 70 | 90 | 122 | 237 | — | 42 | 15 | 21 | 18 | — | — | 14 | 100 | 8 | 247 | 2683 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 124 | 237 | 0 | 19 | 255 | 0 | 19 | 249 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 23 | 52 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 455 | 99 | 0 | 19 | 22 |
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.











