Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 8,579 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s 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 (Aug 17) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s is also forecast. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've been staring at the charts for Bonza Bay and the honest truth is the first week or so is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. We've got some energy coming through, but the wind and conditions are just not playing ball. We're looking at a long stretch of pretty average stuff until we get to a couple of standout windows that are worth getting excited about, even if one has a serious size warning.
Alright, let's start with the early days. From Monday the 17th through to Saturday the 22nd, it's a tough run. The swell is all over the place—some easterly, some south-westerly—but the scores are low. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. Sure, there's energy in the water, especially on Thursday the 20th afternoon with a combined swell energy of 1828, but the 7ft swell is coming in at a messy 14 seconds with a cross-onshore wind. It's just not gonna be any good. You'll be fighting the chop more than riding waves.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Sunday the 23rd of August is a monster. The morning session is looking at a solid 15ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is an enormous 11899. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, which is a beautiful thing to see. The water temp is around average for this time of year, which is fine. But let me be clear: this is for experts only. Anything over 8ft is serious, and 15ft at a river mouth setup like Bonza Bay is going to be a raw, powerful beast. If you're not properly experienced, stay on the sand and watch the show. The swell stays big through Monday the 24th with 10ft sets and that 17-second groundswell. That period is proper long, so expect long lulls between big, setty waves. It's going to wall up and could be unpredictable on a river break. This is the one true standout for the whole run.
After that big pulse, it gets messy again from Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month. The wind picks up, the swell drops and gets jumbly. We do get a little window on Friday morning, the 28th of August. The swell is small, only 3ft from the SSW at 13 seconds, but the wind is glassy, and the rating is solid. It won't be big, but with those clean conditions, it could be a fun little fish or longboard session with no crowd stress.
So, overall, the forecast is a bit of a mixed bag. Don't bother with the first week. Your absolute standout is Sunday the 23rd for the big-wave crew, and a smaller, cleaner chance on the morning of Friday the 28th. Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun night, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
198 | 389 | 326 | 198 | 151 | 262 | 519 | 475 | 482 | 294 | 408 | 1807 | 1842 | 752 | 494 | 371 | 202 | 696 | 3199 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:10AM1.82m | 6:34PM1.89m | 6:40AM1.70m | 7:05PM1.75m | 7:10AM1.57m | 7:38PM1.60m | 7:47AM1.43m | 8:23PM1.45m | 9:02AM1.30m | 10:17PM1.34m | 12:22PM1.30m | 00:43AM1.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:07AM0.52m | 12:12PM0.47m | 00:38AM0.63m | 12:42PM0.60m | 1:11AM0.76m | 1:14PM0.75m | 1:49AM0.88m | 1:53PM0.90m | 2:50AM1.00m | 3:07PM1.05m | 5:23AM1.04m | 6:17PM1.07m | |||||||
— | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
5:39 | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | ENE 8 | — |
198 | 389 | 326 | 198 | 151 | 117 | 519 | 475 | 482 | 294 | 183 | 1807 | 1842 | 752 | 494 | 371 | 202 | 20 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 15 | E 9 | E 9 | E 7 | E 8 | SSW 12 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | ENE 6 | E 7 | — | — |
157 | 19 | 134 | 108 | 53 | 126 | 83 | 103 | 111 | 64 | 220 | 21 | 12 | 12 | — | 55 | 27 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | — | — | E 9 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
32 | 3 | — | 30 | 86 | 262 | — | — | 54 | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 2 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 3 | — | SSW 7 | — | ENE 5 | — | SW 6 | SW 8 | — | — | NE 3 | ENE 4 | SW 2 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 |
1 | 7 | 2 | 3 | — | 37 | — | 44 | — | 157 | 408 | — | — | 2 | 32 | 2 | 165 | 696 | 3199 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 301 | 52 | 52 | 0 | 249 | 301 | 0 | 53 | 440 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











