Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
17.2° C
0.0° 

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


Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 8,621 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Buffalo Bay Wildside this week:

The surf forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 5.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Fri 17th Jul)7.5ft (2.3m) 12s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul)16ft (5.0m) 13s
Most Powerful 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul)16ft (5.0m) 13s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the surf ahead for Buffalo Bay Wildside. Let’s get into it.

The next 16 days are a real mixed bag. We’ve got some proper swell on the horizon, but a lot of it is either too big or battling wonky winds. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is bang on average for this time of year.

Looking at the first decent opportunity, things start to wake up on Friday the 17th morning. The wind goes completely glassy offshore, and we’ve got a clean 8ft swell rolling in from the southwest. The period is a solid 12 seconds, offering good shape with moderate energy (1503). This is a great window for experienced surfers – clean, lined-up sets and no wind to chop it up. The afternoon glass holds with 7ft.

Saturday the 18th is another standout. Morning starts glassy and small at 4ft from the south, but the real show is the afternoon. Winds stay glassy, and the swell bumps up to 6ft from the southwest with moderate energy (1008). It’s clean, it’s consistent enough, and it’ll be a fun one.

We hit a bit of a lull from Sunday the 19th through Monday the 20th. The wind turns cross-onshore and it gets choppy, making for pretty average conditions.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 21st morning looks absolutely magic. Glassy, calm conditions with a 6ft southwest swell, but the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds – groundswell energy (1664). This is gonna produce some proper, powerful lines. This kind of long-period swell can be a bit straight at beach breaks, but at Wildside it should offer some nice walls.

Then the island turns on the afterburners. From Wednesday the 22nd morning all the way through to Saturday the 26th morning, the swell just keeps pumping, hitting 13ft to 15ft. The energy values are huge (up to 10670). However, for this break, that’s way too much. The forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this spot. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a maybe. The winds are decent, even clean at times, but the size is the key factor. The 22nd and 23rd are just too big for a good session here.

The real highlight, and the best bet in the whole outlook, is Sunday the 26th morning. We get a drop back to a much more manageable 7ft from the southwest, combined with a very long 14-second period. The wind is glassy and energy is strong (3030). Everything lines up. After the weeks of oversized chaos, this is the session to circle on the calendar. It’s excellent for experienced surfers.

Monday the 27th brings a return to messy onshore winds and choppy conditions, so things get ordinary again. Tuesday the 28th afternoon cleans up with a light offshore breeze, offering a small window of clean 6ft surf.

The very last decent call is Friday the 31st morning. A clean 8ft southwest swell with a 12-second period and light offshore winds. Good energy (2081). A solid session to finish the run.

Crowds at Wildside can show up sometimes, so keep that in mind for the standout days. This break is inconsistent, so when it does fire like on the 21st and 26th, make the call.

Stay safe out there, and don't get caught inside on the big days.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
2
4
3
3
3
4
3
1
1
3
3
2
3
4
3
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
13
2
SW
13
2.3
SW
12
2
SW
11
1.6
SW
10
1.1
S
12
1.8
SW
10
1.3
SW
9
1.5
SW
12
2
SW
12
2.4
SSW
12
2
SSW
10
1.7
SSW
9
1.1
SE
12
1.8
SSW
15
2
SSW
13
5
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
4
SW
13
4
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2633
1862
1259
1448
884
469
319
609
265
614
1034
1475
836
530
325
1337
1444
8621
4800
5093
4906
Wind (km/h)
5
W
5
WSW
10
WNW
0
SW
0
SW
5
NW
5
W
5
SSW
5
NW
15
W
15
WSW
5
W
5
SE
10
SE
5
ENE
0
WNW
10
NW
20
WNW
10
WNW
15
WSW
10
WSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
off
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
High Tide
5:18PM1.85m
5:30AM1.70m
5:58PM1.81m
6:09AM1.60m
6:37PM1.73m
6:47AM1.48m
7:15PM1.61m
7:27AM1.34m
7:56PM1.47m
8:12AM1.21m
8:44PM1.33m
9:14AM1.10m
9:54PM1.22m
Low Tide
11:03AM0.00m
11:31PM0.12m
11:41AM0.05m
00:12AM0.20m
12:17PM0.14m
00:52AM0.30m
12:52PM0.26m
1:32AM0.42m
1:29PM0.40m
2:16AM0.53m
2:10PM0.55m
3:12AM0.63m
3:07PM0.67m
4:36AM0.69m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:40
 mm
Temp °C
16
17
15
15
17
15
18
18
15
18
17
15
16
17
13
18
20
19
18
19
16
Feels °C
16
16
15
15
17
15
17
17
15
16
13
14
15
15
12
17
17
13
15
15
14
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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 Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Buffalo Bay Wildside provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Buffalo Bay Wildside can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Buffalo Bay Wildside 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 (Buffalo Bay Wildside) 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 Buffalo Bay Wildside 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Garden Route? If you are looking for accommodation near Buffalo Bay Wildside, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Garden Route, consider staying in Knysna which is 8 km (5 miles) away. Other places in and around Garden Route where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Plettenberg Bay which is 36 km (22 miles) away, George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn.

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