Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
15.5°C
1.7° 

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 3 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 4,233 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s is also forecast. 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 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 12s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Thu 3rd Sep)5ft (1.6m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 3rd Sep)13ft (4.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what's cookin' for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next couple of weeks. We've got a bit of a mixed bag, but there are definitely some windows where this spot will fire.

Overall, the pattern starts off solid with a nice pulse of long-period, very high-energy swell (1018) on Thursday the 3rd, but it comes with a catch. Friday through Saturday serves up moderate, workable surf, but things get properly interesting on Sunday the 6th. That's your first real standout - a big groundswell packing serious energy (3444-5196). After a clean spell early in the second week, we hit a bit of a lull mid-week, then a second, even bigger pulse moves in from the 13th onwards. The catch is, that second pulse might be a bit too much of a good thing for this break.

Let's break it down day by day.

Thursday the 3rd kicks things off early. Morning brings a 5ft swell from the SW, with a long 12-second period and glassy conditions. The water's sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. The energy is there (1018), and it's clean. This is excellent surf for those who can handle it. By afternoon, though, it's a write-off. The wind screams up to 35 km/h from the SSE, making a mess of things.

Friday the 4th sees the swell bumping up a notch to 8ft from the SE, with a shorter period. The cross-off wind keeps it rideable, but the conditions are only marginal. It's surfable, but not the gem of the window.

Saturday the 5th drops down to 5ft SSW swell with a decent 11-second period. The morning has clean lines under a light ESE breeze. A fine enough session if you're keen, but nothing to write home about.

Sunday the 6th is where it's at for the first week. That morning sees a 7ft SSW groundswell with an awesome 19-second period – that's a very long period, meaning proper, deep ocean lines. The wave energy is strong (3444). It's a clean, cross-off breeze, making for a ripping morning. The afternoon gets even bigger – 8ft SSW swell, even more energy (5196) and clean conditions. This is your best bet for the first week. The long period might make it a bit walled-off out the back for beach breaks, but for a spot like this, it should be holding some beautiful shape.

Monday the 7th is still a beauty. Morning is absolute perfection: 6ft SW swell (14-second period) and dead glassy – zero wind. That is an epic, clean session for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays clean with 6ft swell and light offshore winds.

Tuesday the 8th is good fun. 4ft SW swell, glassy in the morning, and the energy is moderate (875). A very pleasant, uncrowded morning session if you ask me. It'll be a bit smaller and weaker in the afternoon.

Wednesday the 9th sees a real drop-off. The swell barely reaches 3ft, and the energy is weak. Not the best day.

Thursday the 10th to Saturday the 12th is a lull. Swell sits around 4ft to 5ft, but the wind is okay, mostly cross-off. It's marginal, but there might be a small, clean-ish wave if you're desperate. Don't expect much.

Sunday the 13th kicks off a second powerful pulse, but heads up – this one might be too big for a few days. The morning shows a 10ft SSW swell with huge energy (3187), and the wind is clean. But the models say it's predicted to be too big for this break, so unless you're towing in or on a serious gun, give it a miss. This trend continues through Monday the 14th with an 12ft+ swell, before settling to a still-big 8ft in the afternoon.

Tuesday the 15th is your second standout, and the pick of the whole forecast. The swell drops back to a more manageable 5ft from the SW, with a perfect 12-second period. The afternoon turns glassy again. The energy is still decent (1838), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the session to plan for if you missed the first week.

From Wednesday the 16th onwards, it gets a bit messy. Swell levels stay around 6ft to 8ft, but the wind turns onshore and the conditions become choppy. Not ideal.

So, to keep it simple: your two standouts are Sunday the 6th and Tuesday the 15th. Sunday offers a huge, powerful groundswell with clean winds, while Tuesday offers a slightly smaller, but still powerful and clean glassy session. The days in between are marginal to poor, with a few big, unsurfable days thrown in.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun afternoon, calm by Tue night).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
0
0
2
2
2
2
1
3
3
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
0
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
12
4
SSE
9
4
SSE
9
2.5
SE
9
2.5
SE
8
2.4
ESE
8
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
10
2.3
ESE
7
2
SSW
19
2.5
SSW
18
2.1
SSW
16
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SSW
14
1.6
SW
13
1.2
SW
12
1.2
E
10
0.9
E
10
0.8
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.9
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
811
2333
2568
906
848
653
408
370
483
2863
4233
2228
1340
1080
841
409
284
178
281
335
256
Wind (km/h)
5
SW
35
SSE
35
SE
25
ESE
30
ESE
20
E
20
E
30
ESE
25
E
25
E
35
E
15
ENE
0
ESE
5
ESE
5
W
5
SSE
10
ESE
5
NW
10
WSW
5
SSW
0
SE
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
High Tide
7:20PM1.45m
7:52AM1.21m
8:36PM1.27m
9:53AM1.10m
10:59PM1.21m
12:15PM1.21m
00:43AM1.33m
1:22PM1.41m
1:40AM1.49m
2:07PM1.61m
2:23AM1.63m
2:45PM1.78m
3:00AM1.73m
Low Tide
12:56PM0.42m
1:45AM0.51m
1:58PM0.59m
3:22AM0.65m
4:09PM0.71m
5:49AM0.61m
6:29PM0.60m
7:09AM0.45m
7:36PM0.42m
7:57AM0.28m
8:22PM0.24m
8:34AM0.13m
9:00PM0.11m
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:15
 mm
5
21
6
Temp °C
15
16
16
15
16
14
16
17
15
18
20
17
24
24
21
25
26
20
18
18
16
Feels °C
15
14
10
9
10
9
11
12
11
14
15
13
25
24
21
25
25
21
17
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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