
Surf Forecasts:
Bonza Bay surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 3,650 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with SSE 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bonza Bay in the next 16 days are 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bonza Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, straight up – this isn’t a classic run of form for Bonza Bay. There’s a bit of a slow start, but the second half of the opening week cleans up real nice. We’ve got a couple of standout sessions that’ll have you grinning, but a lot of the long-range stuff is messy with strong winds. Hang tight.
Bonza Bay is a river mouth, and it’s fairly consistent. It’s an intermediate spot, good for a lot of you. The water is sitting at 64°F right now, which is a solid 5°F colder than what you’d normally expect for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit.
The first proper action kicks off Sunday afternoon, the 19th of July. It’s glassy, the wind is flat calm, and we’ve got a 5ft swell from the SSE. The wave energy is moderate (699). It’s a nice little session to get wet.
Monday the 20th keeps it clean in the morning. The swell is 5ft from the SE with a 12-second period, and a light cross-offshore wind from the SW will keep the face tidy. Wave energy is moderate (934). This is a solid option.
The real standout is Tuesday, the 21st of July. The morning starts with glassy conditions and a 4ft SE swell (11 seconds). The swell energy is moderate (704). But the afternoon is where it’s at – glassy as a mirror, a 3ft swell from the SSW, but the period stretches to 15 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, and the energy jumps to 814. For a river mouth, that long period usually means better shaped, more powerful lines. This is the best session on offer.
Wednesday the 22nd is also all glassy with a 4ft SSW swell in the morning, dropping to 3ft in the afternoon. The wind is flat calm both sessions. It’s clean, small, and fun.
We hit a bit of a wall on Thursday the 23rd. The wind cranks up to 19 mph, and the swell is short period and messy. Not worth your time.
Friday the 24th of July is a big one but it’s for experts only. We’re looking at a 8ft swell from the SSW with a 18-second period. That’s a very long period, serious groundswell, and the energy is strong (3708). The wind is a cross-shore, so it’s not clean, but there’s a ton of power. The swell is just over 8 feet, so this is strictly for the experienced crew.
After that, the next spot that catches my eye is Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore wind and a 6ft ESE swell. The energy is moderate (717). It’s a solid option after a rough week of wind.
The long-range stuff from the end of July into early August is mostly blown out with strong winds from the NE and ENE. There’s no shortage of swell, but it’s messy. The very end of the window on Monday the 3rd of August is small and not worth the paddle.
So, to wrap it up: your best bet is Tuesday the 21st of July for the glassy, long-period afternoon session. The Monday the 20th morning is a close second. Everything else is a gamble or for the die-hards.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed night, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 8 | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
248 | 490 | 661 | 634 | 565 | 486 | 411 | 468 | 815 | 454 | 276 | 252 | 310 | 187 | 850 | 3650 | 2444 | 991 | 1292 | 1240 | 711 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 7:21PM1.88m | 7:28AM1.66m | 8:04PM1.76m | 8:11AM1.54m | 8:54PM1.64m | 9:08AM1.43m | 10:02PM1.54m | 10:41AM1.36m | 11:31PM1.50m | 12:30PM1.39m | 00:52AM1.53m | 1:41PM1.48m | 1:48AM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:51PM0.56m | 1:26AM0.74m | 1:29PM0.67m | 2:11AM0.85m | 2:12PM0.80m | 3:06AM0.95m | 3:07PM0.92m | 4:27AM1.01m | 4:32PM1.01m | 6:10AM0.99m | 6:18PM1.01m | 7:23AM0.90m | 7:32PM0.94m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
248 | 490 | 661 | 634 | 565 | 486 | 411 | 331 | 815 | 454 | 276 | 252 | 148 | 187 | 850 | 3650 | 2444 | 991 | 1292 | 1240 | 711 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SE 13 | E 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
227 | 173 | 31 | 269 | 145 | 145 | 203 | 468 | 283 | 209 | 209 | 142 | 110 | 66 | 59 | 58 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SW 9 | SSE 10 | E 10 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 11 | E 9 | E 9 | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSW 16 | — | — | S 19 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 |
108 | 36 | 32 | 31 | 76 | 46 | 90 | 15 | 6 | 26 | 47 | 49 | 21 | 13 | 85 | — | — | 188 | 16 | 10 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | SW 6 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | — | — | E 11 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 216 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | 69 | 310 | 159 | — | — | 84 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 330 | 238 | 301 | 0 | 19 | 239 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Eastern Cape - Wild Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










