Bonza Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s shaping up for Bonza Bay.

At first glance, Bonza Bay is a river mouth break that’s fairly consistent, but the story over the next couple of weeks isn't pretty. The water is sitting at a chilly 61°, which is a whopping 7° colder than what’s normal for this time of year – that’s a seriously unusual cold snap, so you’ll want a thick steamer.

For Friday the 11th, we’re kicking off with tiny surf. It’s small and the wind is a cross-onshore, so it's choppy and ugly. Honestly, forget it.

Saturday the 12th isn't much better. The wind picks up a bit, staying cross-shore and cross-onshore, with short-period windswell. The wave energy is only moderate (387) but the period is a pathetic 6 to 9 seconds, so the waves will be weak and junk. Not worth paddling out.

Now, look here, Sunday the 13th morning brings a serious jump in size, with 10ft of swell from the ESE. The combined energy is very strong (1895) with an 8-second period. The swell is way, way too big for this river mouth – I’d say this is strictly for experts only, but even then, the wind is a cross-shore chop. It’s a beast, but you won’t enjoy it. The afternoon drops a little, but the wind turns cross-onshore and choppy again.

Monday the 14th morning is the same story: 10ft of east swell with very strong energy (3361), but it’s just too much size for the break. The wind is cross-shore with a slight chop. Only the bravest, most experienced locals should even think about it.

Tuesday the 15th through to Saturday the 19th sees the swell dropping back to waist-to-chest high, but the wind just won’t cooperate. It stays cross-onshore or cross-shore, and the forecast keeps calling for poor or marginal conditions. The wave energy is moderate, dropping off to weak (118) by the afternoon of the 19th. There’s a period of very long period groundswell on Friday the 18th (15 seconds), which can give some juice, but with the cross-onshore wind it’ll be messy.

We then have a bit of a run into the second week. Sunday the 20th morning sees 8ft from the SSW with very long period (16 seconds) and strong energy (2814), but the wind is a fresh cross-shore lumpy mess. It’s a no-go. That afternoon the wind jumps to a strong breeze, making it even worse.

From Monday the 21st all the way through Saturday the 26th, the wind is mostly strong and messy, with onshore or cross-offshore directions. The swell sizes are generally under 7ft, but the wind is the enemy here. There are a few moments on Tuesday the 22nd afternoon where the wind is cross-offshore and the conditions are clean, with 6ft from the SSW, but the period is a short 8 seconds and the energy is moderate (737). It’s the closest thing to a window, but it’s still only marginal.

Honestly, after looking at the whole 16 days, there are no real standouts. The few times the swell has good size, the wind is wrong, and the times the wind is okay, the swell is tiny or junk. This is a blank run for Bonza Bay – a quiet stretch where it’s better to just sit this one out and keep an eye on the charts.

Rusty, signing off.

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