Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Bonza Bay.

Right off the bat, the next few days are a bit of a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 64°, which is a solid 4.5° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a notable chill, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. We’ve got a fair bit of energy in the water, but the conditions are fighting it.

Wednesday morning (15 July) kicks things off with some poor surf. There’s 4.6ft of east swell, but with a cross-shore wind and moderate energy (435), it’s messy and not worth paddling out for. You’ll want to sit this one out.

Thursday (16 July) is still marginal. The swell drops to 3.9ft from the east with a better period of 11 seconds, but the wind is cross or cross-onshore, and the energy is moderate (643). The surf is there, but it’s not clean.

Friday (17 July) is another one to skip. The swell goes small, and the wind is still not your friend.

Now, Saturday morning (18 July) – that’s where it finally gets interesting. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got 4.3ft of south swell at 12 seconds. The energy is moderate (555), but with those glassy conditions, the surf should be clean and lined up. This is a solid window for a session, and it’s the first real standout of the run.

Sunday morning (19 July) will see a bigger jump in size – 6.6ft from the south-southwest, with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, and the energy is ramping up to strong (1592). This is a powerful swell, but it’s getting up there in size. It’s still manageable for experienced surfers, but beginners should be careful – 6.6ft is solid. The swell direction is south-southwest, which hits the optimum south direction for Bonza Bay nicely. This is the best on offer for the first week.

The Monday (20 July) has a smaller clean morning, but the wind picks up in the arvo, so don’t hang around.

Tuesday (21 July) shows a bigger swell building – 6.9ft to 7.5ft from the south-southwest, with periods dropping to 12 seconds. The energy is very strong (1182 to 2081). The wind is light cross-onshore in the morning, but it’s a powerful groundswell. This is a big swell, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The wave shape should be good for the river mouth.

Wednesday (22 July) has a clean morning with 5.9ft of south swell at 14 seconds – a long period, which will bring energy and shape. The energy is strong (1389). This is a good option, but the wind picks up in the afternoon.

Then we hit Thursday morning (23 July) – a real big one. The swell is 9.8ft from the south-southwest with a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy is extreme (3901). The wind is glassy, and the tide is favorable, but the report says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. For the river mouth, 9.8ft is massive and likely closing out or washing through. This is only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a serious call. The long period means it will be powerful and straight, so it’s a wild card.

Friday (24 July) is blown out by strong winds, so skip it.

Saturday (25 July) is small and marginal, and Sunday (26 July) sees a 3.0ft south-southwest swell with an 18-second period – that’s a very long period. The energy is high (1507), but the swell is small, so it might be a bit gutless for the size. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s worth a look if you want clean, small waves.

Monday (27 July) is clean again with a cross-offshore wind and 6.2ft of swell from the southwest, but the period is short at 9 seconds. The energy is strong (1091), but short period means it will be a bit shifty.

Tuesday (28 July) is windy and lumpy, so not worth it.

Wednesday (29 July) – another big one. 9.8ft from the southwest with a 13-second period. The energy is extreme (3980), and the wind is cross-offshore and clean. But again, the report says it’s too big for Bonza Bay. This is a serious swell, and only for the bravest.

Thursday (30 July) sees the swell drop back to 6.2ft from the south, with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is light cross, and the energy is strong (1403). It’s a decent morning session, but the wind turns cross-onshore in the afternoon.

Best pick: If I had to call it, Saturday morning (18 July) is the best all-rounder for the first week – glassy, clean, and a fun size. For the big stuff, Sunday morning (19 July) is the standout with the bigger swell and clean winds. The late-month big swells (23 and 29 July) are huge and

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