
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with 3,484 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 9s. 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
G'day, Rusty here, and I've got the goods on what's coming up at Buffalo Bay Wildside. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few windows of proper fun on the cards.
We're kicking off this Saturday morning, the 4th of July, and it's looking like a solid start. There's a nice groundswell from the ESE pushing in at 7 ft with a period of 13 seconds. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The wind is absolutely perfect—glassy, nada, from the NNW at just 3 mph. This is the time to be out there, with the wave energy sitting strong at 1512. It's a bit on the bigger side for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is excellent. The crowds here can be an issue at times, but with conditions this clean, there might be a few of us fighting for peaks.
Saturday afternoon stays just as clean, with the wind swinging to the east at a glassy 3 mph. The swell drops a whisker to 6 ft, still from the ESE with a 12-second period. Wave energy is still hefty at 1423. You'd be mad not to be in the water.
Sunday morning, the 5th, the swell drops to a very user-friendly 5 ft from the ESE with 12-second period. Wind is light from the NW at 3 mph, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. Wave energy is a moderate 756. It's a solid, fun size. Sunday arvo, the wind swings onshore, so the quality drops right off.
Now, heading into Monday the 6th, we get a bit of a change. The swell swings around to the SW, coming in at 6 ft with a 12-second period. We're back to glassy conditions in the morning with the wind from the east at 3 mph. Wave energy is pumping at 1113. This is another standout morning for the experienced crew.
Tuesday the 7th is still rideable, but the wind gets a bit messy with a cross-on breeze, making things lumpy. The swell holds around 6 ft to 6 ft from the SW, with wave energy still solidly over 1000, but it's not the clean perfection of the weekend.
The real big stuff starts to loom on Wednesday the 8th. The swell bumps up to 8 ft from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wave energy goes through the roof at 2126. But the wind is a cross-on westerly at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy. It's powerful, but the conditions are marginal. It might be more of a kite surfing day than a paddle surfing one at that size and with that chop.
Thursday the 9th is a big day for the experts. The swell hits 10 ft from the SSW with a 14-second period. The wave energy is massive at 3166. The morning looks clean with a cross-off easterly breeze at 6 mph. This is only for the experienced crew— beginners stay on the beach. This is a standout for the hardcore surfers.
Friday the 10th keeps that energy going with 8 ft swell from the SSW and 13-second period. Wave energy is 1997. Clean, cross-off winds in the morning. Another cracker for the skilled. The arvo gets a bit gusty with 12 mph winds, so get on it early.
After that, the swell slowly winds down through the second week. Saturday the 11th has a 6 ft SSW swell with clean winds, but it's getting windier. Sunday the 12th brings a welcome return to glassy conditions with a smaller 4 ft swell from the ESE, with a 9-second period (shorter period, less grunt). Wave energy is a moderate 621. A nice little day to get back on a log or a fish.
There's a pretty dead patch from Monday the 13th right through until Thursday the 16th with small, choppy, and onshore conditions. Not worth paddling out for.
But don't write off the second week entirely. Saturday the 18th of July shows some promise. We get a proper long-period groundswell from the SW at 4 ft with a 15-second period. That's a very long period. This kind of swell will wrap in nicely and should offer some great shaped waves. The wind is a cross-off from the NNW at 6 mph, keeping it clean. Because of that very long period, the sets will be a bit wider apart, making it easier to get out the back, but it might break a bit too straight for the beach. Wave energy is a solid 834.
The run then fades out into Sunday the 19th with smaller, onshore conditions. Overall, the first weekend and Thursday the 9th are your true standouts. Get on it.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1276 | 1039 | 647 | 518 | 441 | 335 | 865 | 728 | 369 | 1083 | 954 | 1665 | 1730 | 1240 | 3456 | 3155 | 2535 | 2310 | 1990 | 1545 | 1422 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:24PM1.59m | 6:29AM1.47m | 7:01PM1.57m | 7:10AM1.40m | 7:43PM1.53m | 7:59AM1.31m | 8:36PM1.48m | 9:05AM1.23m | 9:46PM1.44m | 10:33AM1.20m | 11:10PM1.43m | 12:05PM1.25m | 00:31AM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:05PM0.23m | 00:32AM0.38m | 12:39PM0.27m | 1:14AM0.41m | 1:18PM0.34m | 2:03AM0.46m | 2:05PM0.42m | 3:05AM0.50m | 3:08PM0.50m | 4:23AM0.51m | 4:29PM0.55m | 5:49AM0.47m | 6:00PM0.52m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 14 |
1276 | 1039 | 647 | 518 | 441 | 335 | 865 | 728 | 389 | 1083 | 954 | 1665 | 1730 | 1240 | 3456 | 3155 | 2535 | 2310 | 1990 | 1545 | 1422 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SW 13 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | ESE 9 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | S 16 | SW 12 |
173 | 211 | 98 | 141 | 99 | 122 | 247 | 180 | 369 | 90 | 58 | 38 | 364 | 601 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 507 | 314 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | — | S 22 | SSW 20 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
63 | 173 | 174 | 238 | 144 | 184 | 1 | 1 | 123 | — | 9 | 76 | 32 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 4 | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 102 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 113 | 167 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 19 |
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.










