Bonza Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.99° S 27.94° E

Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 09 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bonza Bay sea temperature is
18.1° C
1.8° 

Bonza Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bonza Bay surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, S swell with 1,465 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m 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 2.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Wed 12th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 8s
Best Surf 5AM (Wed 12th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 8s
Most Powerful 2PM (Tue 11th Aug)7ft (2.1m) 13s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of coast is looking pretty ordinary for a while. The good news is there are a couple of windows where things might line up, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

First thing’s first, the water’s sitting at 65° which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year—so grab the extra rubber if you’re heading out.

The first real chance to paddle out at Bonza Bay is Monday morning, August 10. There’s a modest 5ft of SSW swell rolling in with a 9-second period, and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze that should keep the face reasonably clean. The combined energy is moderate at 739, so it’s not a day for heroics, but it’s rideable. After that, things get messy pretty quickly.

Tuesday the 11th sees a jump in size—6ft to 7ft—but the wind swings onshore and the period gets long, up to 13 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and while it brings more power, it’s prone to closing out at a river mouth like this. The energy reading is strong (1430 and 1622), but the surface is going to be chopped up, so expect a fight rather than a glide.

The rest of that week and into the weekend is pretty much a write-off. There’s swell on the cards—mostly 4ft to 6ft—but the wind is all over the place, mostly cross or cross-on, and the period is short and weak. A few days have that lumpy, cross-chop look that’ll have you blaming the board instead of the conditions.

Now, here’s the standout. It’s a bit further out, but mark Wednesday morning, August 19 on the calendar. The swell jumps to 8ft from the east with a 9-second period, and the energy meters are lighting up—1927, which is strong. The wind is a cross-shore from the southwest at 12 mph, which is workable. This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the whole window. It’s pushing past the 8ft mark, so this is firmly expert territory—if you’re not confident in solid surf, give it a miss. The quality is still marginal, but this is the one day where it feels like the ocean actually woke up.

After that, the energy fades fast. The 20th and 21st are back to onshore slop. Then the 22nd drops right off—2ft of weak swell, energy down to 88. That’s as flat as it gets.

There’s one more flicker of hope on Monday morning, August 24. A 5ft SSW groundswell with a long 14-second period, and the wind is light and cross. The energy is strong at 914. This is a cleaner, more organised swell, but that long period at a river mouth can be tricky—it might break a bit straight. Still, it’s the best chance for a decent, clean wave in the second week.

So, bottom line: don’t hold your breath for the next few days. The standout is the 19th if you’ve got the skills, and the 24th is the one for the rest of us. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Tue night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Sun
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
SSW
7
2.5
S
8
1.6
SSW
9
1.2
S
8
1.6
S
11
1.8
S
10
2
S
13
1.9
SE
8
1.3
SE
8
1.3
E
9
1.4
E
7
0.8
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
20
0.7
SSW
18
1.3
E
7
1.7
E
7
1.7
E
8
1.5
E
8
1.7
E
8
1.7
E
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
334
857
442
200
573
700
1285
486
233
287
203
333
298
273
153
250
319
255
332
368
Wind (km/h)
25
SSW
30
SSW
20
WSW
15
SSE
15
SE
20
SE
15
E
15
NE
20
NE
30
ENE
20
NNE
25
NE
35
ENE
25
NE
25
NE
35
NE
20
NE
15
NE
20
ENE
15
NE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
1:46AM1.74m
2:20PM1.77m
2:38AM1.86m
3:06PM1.93m
3:21AM1.96m
3:45PM2.06m
4:00AM2.01m
4:22PM2.13m
4:35AM2.02m
4:58PM2.14m
5:09AM1.99m
5:31PM2.10m
Low Tide
7:32PM0.77m
8:08AM0.63m
8:29PM0.62m
8:52AM0.49m
9:14PM0.49m
9:30AM0.38m
9:53PM0.40m
10:06AM0.31m
10:30PM0.36m
10:39AM0.28m
11:03PM0.37m
11:11AM0.30m
11:35PM0.43m
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
rain showers
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:50
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:47
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:35
5:36
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
 mm
3
22
2
3
6
1
1
Temp °C
16
16
14
14
14
14
14
15
16
17
16
17
18
17
19
21
18
21
22
19
Feels °C
9
8
8
11
10
9
10
11
12
11
11
12
12
12
14
15
14
17
18
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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