Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, E swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, E swell with 2,716 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period with E 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 (Sep 14) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bonza Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Bonza Bay.
First up, the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a mixed bag. The start of the period is dominated by some seriously big, unruly swell that’s just too much for this river mouth setup, so we’re looking at a few days where you’re better off staying on the beach. There’s a decent window of cleaner conditions on Tuesday the 15th, but beyond that, the week ahead gets pretty messy with a lot of wind and lumpy conditions.
The best bet of the entire run is without a doubt Tuesday morning, 15th September. It’s not going to be huge, but it will be *perfect*. We’ve got a clean 7ft easterly groundswell with an 11-second period pushing in, and with glassy conditions and a slight air, it’ll be as clean as it gets. The combined swell energy is moderate (960), and with offshore wind being glass, this is the one to circle. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. Just be aware that this spot can get a few heads in the water sometimes.
The rest of the week from Wednesday the 16th through the following weekend gets sloppy. A lot of cross-onshore wind, lumpy chop, and building swell that’s just too big for the break. By Saturday the 19th, we’re looking at 10ft easterly swell with strong cross-shore wind—that’s more of a kiteboarding scenario than a paddling one, honestly.
There is a glimmer of something more interesting later on, but it’s way off. Monday morning, 28th September, shows a 8ft southerly groundswell with a very long 16-second period and gentle cross-shore wind. The combined energy is strong (2768), and the conditions are described as clean with a slight cross-chop. That’s a promising sign for a point break or reef setup, but at Bonza Bay (a river mouth), a swell that long can sometimes straighten out. Keep an eye on it, but it’s a long-range call and less certain.
Overall, the standout is that Tuesday morning glass-off. The rest of the time, it’s either too big, too windy, or too messy to get excited about.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Sun night, calm by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 93mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Thu morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1392 | 2162 | 1962 | 1636 | 898 | 590 | 512 | 333 | 284 | 249 | 181 | 373 | 429 | 661 | 788 | 650 | 1236 | 1497 | 2716 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:07AM1.92m | 5:24PM1.99m | 5:33AM1.83m | 5:49PM1.86m | 5:59AM1.71m | 6:14PM1.72m | 6:26AM1.58m | 6:39PM1.57m | 6:57AM1.43m | 7:08PM1.41m | 7:52AM1.28m | 8:16PM1.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:02PM0.35m | 11:07AM0.33m | 11:28PM0.43m | 11:34AM0.44m | 11:56PM0.53m | 12:01PM0.57m | 00:24AM0.66m | 12:29PM0.73m | 00:55AM0.79m | 1:01PM0.89m | 1:39AM0.93m | 1:59PM1.06m | 4:01AM1.04m | ||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 5:58 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 19 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 21 | 20 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 8 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | ESE 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 297 | 1601 | 1962 | 1636 | 898 | 590 | 512 | 333 | 284 | 249 | 177 | 198 | 312 | 97 | 104 | 650 | 147 | 98 | 2079 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | E 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 10 | — | SSW 15 | — | SW 16 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 8 | 187 | 131 | 72 | 62 | 40 | 38 | 100 | 103 | 111 | 164 | 135 | 111 | 32 | — | 125 | — | 10 | 58 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 10 | SSW 13 | — | — | SSW 15 | — | SSW 11 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 22 | 49 | 56 | 28 | 101 | — | — | 22 | — | 68 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 |
| kJ | 1392 | 2162 | 2997 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 89 | 130 | 181 | 373 | 429 | 661 | 788 | — | 1236 | 1497 | 2716 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 439 | 237 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 237 | 0 | 435 | 492 | 129 | 52 | 456 | 468 | 611 | 666 | 182 | 173 | 456 | 237 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Bonza Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest