Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in – let's have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for Bonza Bay.

Overall, we're in for a bit of a mixed bag. The first week or so is pretty disappointing, with a bunch of days where conditions are just messy or the swell is mismatched. There’s a bit of a wait for the real magic, but a couple of sessions towards the end of the run look like they could be absolute crackers. The water temp is sitting at about 66°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest steamer.

The first real chance to get wet is on Thursday the 3rd of September, first thing. We've got a clean 3 ft southerly swell rolling in, and with a glassy 5 km/h SSW wind, the river mouth at Bonza Bay should be looking clean and inviting. The energy is moderate (276) but it's a nice little starter.

That clean window slams shut by the afternoon as the wind swings and picks up, and we're looking at a whole lot of jumbled up, choppy conditions right through until at least the 8th of September. There's some decent size in the water on Friday the 4th – up to 12 ft from the SSE – but with a strong onshore wind that's all for the kite crew, not paddle surfing. There's a lot of swell energy during this period (the combined energy readings sit between 647 and 1973) but the quality just isn't there.

We get a small breather on the morning of Tuesday the 8th with some 6 ft east swell, but the wind is still cross to onshore, keeping things fairly choppy. It’s a marginal call at best. Conditions stay average for the next few days, with the swell dipping right down and staying messy through the 10th and 11th of September. Those afternoons have some energy (up to 524) but poor wind ruins it.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout period looks to be around the 13th and 14th of September, but you’ve got to be selective. On the 13th, a big 10 ft southerly groundswell pushes in for the afternoon, and the wind is a feathery light cross-onshore (10 km/h easterly), which would normally be incredible, but this swell is simply too damn big for Bonza Bay. The energy reading is a massive 2346. That one is an experts-only wave if you've got the nerve and a boat, and even then it's a maybe. The following morning, Monday the 14th, sees even more size – 12 ft from the south at a very long 16 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 5605, but again, it's just too much juice for the break and the wind turns fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy and unruly.

The real pick of the entire forecast, the one you want to circle in your calendar, is the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th of September. The swell drops back to a manageable 4 ft from the SSE, but check this out – it's a long-period groundswell (15 seconds) and the wind goes absolutely glassy from the NE at just 5 km/h. For a river mouth setup like this, that long period combined with that level of glass is a recipe for clean, lined-up walls. The energy is still high at 1471, suggesting plenty of push for that size. This could be an absolutely unreal session for anyone with a bit of experience.

After that brief moment of glory, things go sour again. From the 16th onwards it’s back to messy, onshore conditions and poor surf right through to the end of the forecast window. The 17th of September is a write-off with strong winds and a big, lumpy 8 ft swell, and the 18th offers a short window of clean but small surf.

Bottom line: This is a month of two halves. You can get a few small clean waves on the morning of the 3rd, but the absolute gold is the afternoon of Tuesday the 15th of September. That glassy, long-period swell is the one to chase. The big days on the 13th and 14th are for the brave and the skilled only.

Rusty.

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