
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 5,509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period with SSW 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 2.0m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Buffalo Bay Wildside.
The first real action we’re looking at kicks off on Saturday, September 5th, but it’s not pretty. We’ve got a 5ft SSW swell, but it’s coming in with a cross-offshore wind at 15 mph, and the water is a bit colder than normal at 61°. The energy is weak (384) and the surf is just plain poor. Nothing to get excited about here.
Then Sunday, September 6th, the swell jumps up. By afternoon we’re looking at a solid 10ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 17 seconds and massive energy (5927). That’s a lot of water moving, but this break is inconsistent and that size is way too big for this spot. It’s a ‘too big’ warning – only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s a gamble. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze at 19 mph, which keeps it clean, but the sheer power is intimidating.
Monday, September 7th, is a different story. The morning brings a 7ft SSW swell with a 14-second period (2833 energy) and a light cross-offshore breeze at just 3 mph. That’s clean, powerful, and manageable for stronger surfers. The afternoon stays good with a 6ft swell and light winds. These are the best waves on offer early on.
Tuesday, September 8th, is a standout. Morning glass-off conditions with a 5ft swell from the east, period 9 seconds, and the energy is moderate (704). The wind is dead calm – glassy as it gets. This is clean, fun surf for intermediate to experienced surfers. The afternoon holds up with a 4ft SW swell and light wind. This is the pick of the first week.
After that, the quality drops. Wednesday and Thursday are messy with onshore and cross-shore winds, and the swell gets lumpy. Friday, September 11th, brings back some clean cross-offshore winds and a 7ft SW swell (1405 energy) in the morning, but it’s a rain shower day. The water is still a bit cold.
The second week starts with a bit of promise. Sunday, September 13th, has a glassy morning with a 7ft SW swell (3443 energy) and a light breeze. That’s clean and solid. The afternoon goes glassy too with a 5ft swell. This is another good window.
Monday, September 14th, is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds. But Tuesday, September 15th, is a beauty. The morning is glassy calm, a 7ft SW swell (1384 energy), and it’s clean. The afternoon holds up with a 7ft swell and light cross-offshore wind. That’s top-tier for this break.
Then it gets wild again. Wednesday, September 16th, we see a 13ft SW swell with 16-second period and massive energy (7481). That’s a monster. Onshore winds make it dangerous and ugly. Only for the truly mad.
The last clear window is Friday, September 18th, with a clean 5ft SW swell (1130 energy) and light cross-offshore wind. The weekend of September 19th brings some clean but smaller ESE swell, but it’s inconsistent.
The real standout here is Tuesday, September 8th, for the glassy morning conditions and clean, rideable swell. The second best is Tuesday, September 15th, for the same reason – glassy, clean, and a solid swell.
Overall, expect a lot of big, powerful, and often too-large swell for this inconsistent break. The best windows are short and sweet. Keep an eye on the 8th and 15th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun afternoon, calm by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 28°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 12 | E 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
370 | 893 | 4455 | 5509 | 2887 | 1797 | 1261 | 528 | 380 | 314 | 169 | 195 | 290 | 277 | 1405 | 2982 | 2082 | 1339 | 865 | 923 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:19PM1.90m | 3:34AM1.79m | 3:51PM1.96m | 4:06AM1.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:08AM0.03m | 9:34PM0.02m | 9:40AM-0.02m | 10:05PM-0.01m | |||||||
— | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
370 | 346 | 4455 | 5509 | 2887 | 1797 | 1261 | 528 | 380 | 246 | 169 | 113 | 290 | 277 | 1405 | 2982 | 2082 | 1339 | 865 | 624 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | SSW 22 | SSW 10 | — | — | ESE 8 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 9 | SSW 5 | SW 12 | S 5 | E 10 | SE 6 | S 7 | SE 12 |
43 | 893 | 179 | — | — | 356 | 85 | 437 | 218 | 314 | 142 | 195 | 87 | 19 | 455 | 19 | 31 | 29 | 172 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | WSW 10 | S 12 | — | — | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | E 9 | S 5 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | SE 13 | — |
14 | 38 | 26 | — | — | 60 | 83 | 236 | 106 | 77 | 47 | 116 | 31 | 58 | 18 | 52 | 44 | 37 | 7 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | SW 4 | — | — | SSE 6 | — | ESE 5 | ESE 8 |
199 | 237 | 255 | 418 | 352 | 620 | 414 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | — | — | 20 | — | 103 | 923 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 419 | 19 | 19 | 380 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










