Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming for Bonza Bay.

The next couple of weeks start off with a bit of promise, but there’s some real ups and downs along the way. The first real standout is Friday morning, August 21st. We’ve got a solid 5 ft SSW swell rolling in with a 12-second period, giving the waves a nice bit of punch. The combined energy is sitting at a moderate 610. What really makes it special is the glassy conditions with a light 5 km/h southerly breeze. Water temp is 66°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a wetsuit. Bonza Bay is a river mouth setup, exposed to the south swell, and it’s fairly consistent. NW winds are offshore here, and a glassy morning like this is rare – get out there early for the cleanest waves.

After that, things get messy. Friday afternoon sees onshore winds, and by Saturday morning the swell drops to 2 ft with a strong 35 km/h WSW cross-offshore wind that’s actually making it clean, but the swell is too small to get excited about. Saturday afternoon the wind cranks up to 45 km/h from the SW, bumping the swell to 8 ft but with a short 7-second period and messy cross-chop – that’s one for the experts only, and even then it’s not great.

Sunday morning, August 23rd, the swell holds at 8 ft from the SW, with a 10-second period and a moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy rockets up to 1955, which is strong, but the wind is creating a cross-chop and the surf quality is marginal. Sunday afternoon stays similar but with a cross-onshore wind.

Monday, the 24th, drops to 3 ft from the south with a 13-second period, but the wind is onshore again. Not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday, the 25th, sees a 5 ft SSW swell with a very long 15-second period, and the energy is strong at 1144. But the wind is light cross-onshore, putting small ripples on the face. That long period groundswell can be tricky at a beach break like Bonza, making it break a bit too straight. Still, if you’re patient, there might be a few clean ones.

Wednesday, the 26th, is the biggest of the first week – 7 ft from the south with a 17-second period in the morning, energy of 2735. That’s strong, but it’s cross-onshore at 10 km/h, so it’s a bit lumpy. By the afternoon it’s 8 ft and choppy. Not a clean day.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a mixed bag of small, messy, or blown-out conditions. Thursday the 27th has a 5 ft south swell with a 16-second period but a fresh 35 km/h NE cross-shore wind – lumpy and messy. Friday the 28th morning is slightly better: 5 ft south swell, 14-second period, light onshore wind, with a score of 3. Still marginal.

The standout of the second week is Sunday morning, August 30th. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 3008. But here’s the catch – the wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore, and the wave comment says the swell is too big for this break. That’s only for experts, and even then it’s going to be a wild, powerful beast. Not a beginner’s day.

Monday, August 31st, has a 6 ft south swell, 12-second period, light onshore wind, and moderate energy of 1004 – marginal but not terrible.

The rest of the week into early September is small, with 5 ft or less, and mostly from the east with short 9-second periods. The wind is often cross or cross-onshore, making it choppy and uninspiring.

For the best of the forecast, you’ve got to point to Friday morning, August 21st – that’s the real gem with glassy conditions and a decent 5 ft swell. The second best is probably Tuesday morning, August 25th, with the long period groundswell, but keep an eye on the wind. After that, it’s a lot of waiting for conditions to line up.

Rusty.

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