Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 4,309 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf ahead for Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a mixed bag, but there are a couple of moments that’ll get the heart rate up if you time it right.
The opening days are a bit messy. Wednesday the 19th is pretty grim—some 8.2ft SW swell with a 12-second period, but the energy is all over the place and the conditions aren't coming together. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 20th sees a big pulse of swell pushing through—11.5ft at 13 seconds—but it’s just too much for this setup. It’s not going to be fun; it’s going to be survival. That’s one for the experts only, and even then, it might be more about getting out than getting waves.
Now, Friday the 21st is where things start to look up. The swell drops to a more manageable 6.9ft, still from the SW with a 12-second period. The wind is light and offshore, which is a massive plus—it should be clean and lined up. This is one of the best windows of the whole period. The energy is moderate at 1256, but the quality of the wave should be there for an experienced surfer.
Saturday the 22nd is a write-off. The wind swings onshore and picks up, and the swell gets short and crumbly. Poor conditions. Sunday the 23rd is interesting. Big swell again—9.8ft at 13 seconds in the morning—but it's glassy. That's a heavy combo, so again, only for the brave. The afternoon drops to 8.2ft with a 12-second period and stays glassy. That afternoon session looks much more doable and clean, with strong energy behind it at 2011.
Monday the 24th is a drop-off—smaller, shorter period, and the wind is on it. Just a so-so day.
But then we get to Tuesday the 25th. This is the standout of the whole run. 8.2ft of SW swell with a long 14-second period, light offshore wind, and clean conditions. The energy is solid at 2304. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The long period will really let the swell wrap in and set up nicely down the point. The morning is the pick.
The rest of the week is quieter. Wednesday the 26th has some nice clean shoulder-high waves—5.9ft at 13 seconds with glassy conditions in the morning. Good fun, but not as powerful as Tuesday. Thursday the 27th is average, and the surf dies down through Friday the 28th.
The weekend of the 29th and 30th sees another big swell pulse, with 11.5ft waves at 15 seconds on Saturday the 29th afternoon. That's a serious amount of water and way too big for this break, and the onshore wind will make it a mess. Sunday the 30th has 9.8ft swell but with strong cross-offshore winds, which will keep it clean but still too big and powerful for all but the top experts.
Things taper off into the first week of September. The first couple of days are messy with onshore wind. Then, Wednesday the 2nd of September has a clean afternoon predicted with 6.2ft of swell. And then, way out there on Thursday the 3rd of September, is a massive event—16.4ft of SW swell at 14 seconds. That’s just enormous, and it’s going to be way too big for this spot. It’ll be a spectacular sight, but you’d want a jet ski and a death wish.
So, the clear pick is the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August. Friday the 21st is also well worth your time. The Thursday afternoon on the 23rd is a backup. Otherwise, there are a few fun, smaller days in between, but nothing else is close to those standouts. Remember, this spot is inconsistent, and it doesn't break all that often, so when it does come alive, you need to be on it.
Stay frothy.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2381 | 1978 | 1693 | 1500 | 4309 | 3365 | 1914 | 1250 | 908 | 771 | 462 | 1131 | 2412 | 3057 | 2011 | 1214 | 821 | 688 | 874 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 7:10AM1.26m | 7:31PM1.31m | 7:49AM1.12m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:11AM0.49m | 1:08PM0.53m | 1:49AM0.63m | 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 | |||||||
— | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
5:59 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 7 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
2381 | 1978 | 1693 | 1500 | 4309 | 3365 | 1914 | 1250 | 908 | 771 | 462 | 4 | 2412 | 3057 | 2011 | 1214 | 821 | 688 | 792 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | WSW 11 | ESE 5 | SSW 13 | — | E 8 | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
31 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 403 | 39 | 204 | — | 5 | — | — | — | 121 | 289 | 874 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 289 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | — | WSW 6 | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | 141 | 1131 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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.











