Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with 3,543 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 (Aug 20) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. 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 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up. We’ve got a lot of swell coming through, but it’s gonna be a mixed bag. Right now, there’s too much juice for Buffalo Bay Wildside. The water’s running real cold, way colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be needing the thickest wetsuit you own.
The first day worth paddling out is Friday, August 21st. The swell comes down to a much more manageable 7ft from the SW, with a solid 12-second period. The wind is cross-offshore from the ESE, and it’s going to be clean. This is a good one for the experienced crew. The energy is still strong (1256), but it’s workable. The afternoon cleans up even more, down to 5ft with a light cross-offshore breeze (991). That’s a solid window.
Saturday the 22nd is a total loss. Strong cross-onshore winds and messy surf. Don’t even bother. Sunday the 23rd has some promise, with the morning showing 8ft but a light cross-on wind. The afternoon is the pick – 7ft and cross-off from the SE (1281). That’s clean and lined up, a good one if you’re up for it.
Monday the 24th is marginal, so let it rest. Tuesday the 25th is another standout. The swell pulses back up to 8ft with a long 14-second period from the SW. The wind is light cross-off from the ESE, and the energy is strong (2557). This will have some serious punch and shape. Conditions are excellent for the advanced surfer. Wednesday the 26th keeps it going with slightly smaller but still clean waves – 5ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, with that good cross-offshore flow.
The surf backs off into late August. Thursday and Friday are small and weak, not worth the effort. The swell tries to come back on Saturday the 29th, but the wind is all over it. Sunday the 30th is interesting – a shorter period, windswell from the ESE, but the afternoon has a cross-offshore wind making it clean, with 8ft on offer (1225). It'll be a bit shifty due to the short period, but it could be fun.
Monday the 31st is blown out – strong onshore winds. Tuesday, September 1st, starts small, but the afternoon is a giant – 10ft from the SSW with huge energy (3881). Again, that’s just too big for this break. It’s going to be a mess.
The real gem in the longer range is Wednesday, September 2nd. The wind drops to dead calm, glassy, and we’ve got a solid 8ft of SW groundswell at 14 seconds (2623). This is going to be clean, powerful, and perfect for experts. This might be the best day of the whole run. Thursday the 3rd is messy again and the surf drops off after that, but Friday the 4th shows a glimmer with some clean 4ft to 4ft waves and light offshore breezes. Not big, but clean.
So, to sum it up: Friday the 21st, Tuesday the 25th, and Wednesday the 2nd are your standouts. If you only get one day, make it the 2nd – that glassy condition is a rare treat. The first week is your best bet for quality. And remember, anything over 8ft is for experts only. If you're not sure, watch from the beach.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4794 | 3543 | 1914 | 1250 | 644 | 460 | 739 | 594 | 1256 | 1326 | 1193 | 1118 | 773 | 638 | 2185 | 2557 | 1665 | 789 | 864 | 646 | 549 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:20PM1.16m | 9:23AM1.00m | 10:47PM1.07m | 12:37PM1.04m | 00:51AM1.16m | 1:37PM1.19m | 1:41AM1.29m | 2:11PM1.34m | 2:15AM1.43m | 2:39PM1.49m | 2:44AM1.55m | 3:06PM1.63m | 3:12AM1.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:47PM0.68m | 2:58AM0.75m | 3:17PM0.82m | 6:04AM0.77m | 6:39PM0.79m | 7:27AM0.63m | 7:40PM0.65m | 8:02AM0.49m | 8:15PM0.51m | 8:30AM0.35m | 8:44PM0.38m | 8:56AM0.23m | 9:11PM0.26m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 25 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 23 | 25 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
4794 | 3543 | 1914 | 1250 | 644 | 460 | 739 | 594 | 1256 | 1326 | 1193 | 1118 | 773 | 638 | 2185 | 2557 | 1665 | 769 | 864 | 646 | 549 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 7 | E 8 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | — | SE 11 | SSW 15 | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
7 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 347 | 303 | 31 | 181 | 1 | 142 | 88 | — | 4 | 123 | — | — | 724 | 789 | 144 | 121 | 84 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 8 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | SE 10 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | S 15 |
— | — | — | — | — | 48 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 104 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | E 6 | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 6 | E 7 | — | W 3 |
— | — | — | — | 13 | 85 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 111 | 229 | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 335 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











