Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
17.3° C
0.1° 

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 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 4,281 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Thu 16th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s
Best Surf 2AM (Thu 16th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 15s
Most Powerful 5PM (Tue 21st Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Buffalo Bay Wildside. This spot is an inconsistent, exposed intermediate break that needs a decent SE swell to really light up, and it’s in the Western Cape. Water temp is about average for this time of year.

The next 16 days kick off with a bang but it’s a tricky one. The first real swell we see is Thursday morning, 16 July, and it’s a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, packing a massive 2684 combined energy. That’s proper, powerful stuff. Wind is light and glassy from the west, so the ocean will be clean. But – this is only for experienced surfers; 8ft is big and the power is intense. Thursday afternoon the wind picks up onshore and the quality drops off.

Friday morning, 17 July, is another standout. We’ve got 8ft of SW swell, period 12 seconds, and a glassy 5 km/h breeze from the SE. The energy is still high at 1503, and the waves will be clean and lined up. Again, it’s expert territory. Friday afternoon the wind turns cross and the period drops, making it less appealing.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Saturday, 18 July, drops to 4ft and the wind is cross-onshore. Sunday morning, 19 July, is a write-off with 15 km/h cross-onshore wind and rain, but Sunday afternoon is a total gem: the wind drops to nothing, glassy, 7ft of SW swell at 12 seconds, with a combined energy of 1218. That’s clean, powerful, and for the experienced crew only.

Monday, 20 July, has a glassy 4ft morning, which is a nice size for intermediate surfers, but the energy is lower (626). The real story is Tuesday, 21 July, when the swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW with a 15-second period and a wild 3533 combined energy. That’s too big for this break, even with light cross-onshore wind. This pattern repeats: Wednesday, 22 July, glassy 10ft, too big. Thursday, 23 July, too big. This is a serious run of oversized swell for the spot.

The best session on offer, without a doubt, is Sunday, 27 July. The morning is totally calm, glassy, with 6ft of long-period SW groundswell (14 seconds) and a combined energy of 2214. The wind is dead calm, so the waves will be perfect. By the afternoon, the wind is light cross-offshore, keeping it clean. This is the sweet spot – big enough to be exciting, but not so big it’s out of control. Excellent for experienced surfers.

Monday, 28 July, is also very good, with offshore NE winds and 6ft of clean SW swell. Then, 29 July, the wind destroys it with 25-30 km/h onshore, so write that off. The final few days, 30 and 31 July, see another massive pulse of 13-15ft SW swell, which is again way too big for this spot.

So, the standout is Sunday, 27 July, morning session. Get on it. The second week has some promising long-range options, but as always, keep an eye on the wind. Overall, if you’re experienced and love big, clean groundswell, there are pockets of brilliance here.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wed
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
!
4
3
3
4
2
3
2
3
3
2
4
3
3
2
4
!
!
!
!
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SW
15
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
13
1.9
SW
13
2.3
SW
12
2
SW
11
1.6
SW
10
1.1
S
12
1.8
SW
11
2.2
SW
9
2.3
SW
10
2.1
SW
12
1.3
SW
11
1.3
SW
11
1.7
SSW
11
1.8
SSW
12
3
SSW
15
3
SW
14
3.5
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3241
2633
1862
1173
1448
884
478
322
763
822
964
1130
414
398
649
934
3431
4281
4084
2744
2142
Wind (km/h)
5
W
5
W
10
WSW
10
WNW
5
SE
5
SE
5
NNW
5
W
5
SW
5
NW
15
W
0
W
5
NE
0
WSW
10
SW
5
NW
10
WSW
15
W
10
WNW
5
NNW
5
SE
Wind State
cross-on
glassy
on
cross
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
glassy
off
glassy
on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross
High Tide
4:50AM1.77m
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
Low Tide
10:48PM0.10m
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
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<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>
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:40
 mm
1
Temp °C
15
16
17
15
17
18
15
18
19
15
15
15
14
16
17
14
16
19
16
18
19
Feels °C
14
16
16
15
17
17
15
17
18
15
11
14
14
16
15
13
14
16
13
17
17
  • 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 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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