
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, S swell with 2,510 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 11s. 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 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Bonza Bay.
We’re kicking off with a bit of a slow start, but there’s a real gem waiting for us on Tuesday morning the 21st of July. The river mouth is set to be absolutely pristine. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the SE, with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is glassy. That’s about as good as it gets for a paddle out. The water is sitting at 64°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. The combined swell energy is moderate at 671, and it’s pointing right at the sandbanks. This is the standout session of the whole outlook – get on it.
The rest of Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday look a bit marginal. The swell drops off and gets a bit messy with cross-shore winds, so don’t expect much joy.
Thursday the 23rd brings a stronger 16 mph cross-shore wind that chops everything up. Not worth the paddle.
Friday the 24th sees a jump in size, with the morning at 6ft from the SSW and a very long period of 18 seconds. The energy jumps to a strong 2199, but the wind is cross-shore and the quality is questionable. The afternoon bumps up to 7ft from the S with a 16-second period, but the wind swings cross-onshore. This is a lot of power, but the conditions aren't clean enough to call it a stand-out. It's one for the experts if they’re desperate.
Saturday morning the 25th is another beauty. The wind drops back to glassy, and we’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period. This is a solid, clean morning session. The energy is moderate at 861. The afternoon gets ruined by a 12 mph cross-shore breeze.
From Saturday afternoon all the way through to the end of July, it’s a pretty grim run. The wind is up, the swell is inconsistent, and the quality is poor. There’s a brief window on Tuesday afternoon the 28th with a long-period 4ft SSW swell at 15 seconds and light cross-shore winds, but it’s nothing to write home about. The energy is moderate at 1091.
The first week of August is a write-off. Strong winds, onshore slop, and short-period windswell. The only half-decent session is Tuesday morning the 4th of August, with a clean 4ft from the ESE and light cross-offshore winds, but the period is a short 9 seconds and the energy is weak at 253. It’s a scrap, not a stand-out.
So to be honest, the only true standouts are Tuesday morning the 21st of July and Saturday morning the 25th of July. The rest is a waiting game. Keep your eyes on the forecast, because it can’t stay this poor for long.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
403 | 392 | 701 | 461 | 287 | 377 | 540 | 186 | 1864 | 1952 | 2510 | 1103 | 763 | 605 | 700 | 386 | 258 | 150 | 148 | 164 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:11AM1.54m | 8:54PM1.64m | 9:08AM1.43m | 10:02PM1.54m | 10:41AM1.36m | 11:31PM1.50m | 12:30PM1.39m | 00:52AM1.53m | 1:41PM1.48m | 1:48AM1.61m | 2:28PM1.59m | 2:30AM1.69m | 3:03PM1.70m | 3:04AM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:12PM0.80m | 3:06AM0.95m | 3:07PM0.92m | 4:27AM1.01m | 4:32PM1.01m | 6:10AM0.99m | 6:18PM1.01m | 7:23AM0.90m | 7:32PM0.94m | 8:10AM0.79m | 8:21PM0.85m | 8:46AM0.68m | 8:59PM0.76m | ||||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
403 | 369 | 701 | 461 | 280 | 377 | 540 | 186 | 1059 | 1952 | 2510 | 1103 | 763 | 605 | 700 | 386 | 258 | 202 | 137 | 109 | 65 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 8 | SE 11 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
203 | 392 | 366 | 330 | 287 | 205 | 167 | 110 | 82 | 187 | 31 | 143 | 74 | 41 | 41 | 13 | 3 | 150 | 148 | 164 | 106 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | E 9 | E 9 | E 5 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | — | SSW 19 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | — | SE 9 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 |
65 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 44 | 81 | 49 | 24 | 7 | 60 | — | 37 | 24 | 24 | 9 | 3 | — | 3 | 31 | 86 | 167 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 3 | ENE 6 | — | SW 5 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | — | — | — | SW 4 |
— | — | 9 | 65 | — | 18 | 86 | 119 | 1864 | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 62 | 191 | — | — | — | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 99 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 52 | 301 | 25 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 455 | 34 | 19 | 237 | 0 | 25 | 52 | 0 |
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.










