
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,985 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 13s. 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 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what Buffalo Bay Wildside has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. We’ve only got one break on the menu here, so it’s all about timing this spot right.
Right out of the gate, Monday morning the 14th looks like a proper wake-up call. We’re seeing a solid 8 ft swell from the ESE, and the energy is pumping hard with a combined energy of 1540. That’s serious wave power. The wind is a light offshore from the ENE at just 5 km/h, which is going to keep things clean. The water is sitting at 60°F, which is about 3 degrees colder than usual for this time of year—so you’ll want a thicker suit. This is excellent, but it’s also 8 ft of swell, so it’s getting into the territory where only experienced surfers are going to have a good time. It’s a standout window if you’ve got the skill. The break is inconsistent here, so don't expect a wave every minute, but when they come, they’ll be worth the paddle.
Monday afternoon drops off a little with a cross-on wind, making it messy.
Tuesday morning the 15th is a real treat. The swell has dropped to 5 ft from the East, but the wind is totally glassy—5 km/h from the SSW, absolute glass. For an inconsistent break, that’s gold. The energy is moderate at 797, and that clean, glassy surface is a huge positive for the intermediate crew. It’s not the biggest day, but it will be the cleanest.
Wednesday the 16th gets a big pulse from the SW, 8 ft with a very long period of 14 seconds. The energy is huge at 2670, but the wind is a messy cross-on. That long period groundswell can be tricky here; at a beach setup it might close out, so don’t get too excited.
The end of the week (Thursday 17th) holds 8 ft from the SW with a cross-off wind, keeping it lined up. Energy is still strong at 2244. It’s a solid run for competent surfers.
Now, looking ahead to the weekend of the 19th and 20th, things get properly big. Saturday morning we’re talking 12 ft from the ESE, then it jumps to 13 ft in the afternoon. That’s huge. The combined energy is through the roof at 2765 and 2904. This is strictly for experts only—over 8 ft is big wave territory. The wind is cross-off, which helps, but the sheer size will be intimidating. By Sunday the 20th, the wind swings onshore and heavy rain moves in, so that window slams shut.
The following week (from Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th) sees the swell drop back to the 6 ft to 7 ft range, with light winds and mostly cross-off conditions. It’s not the best of the run, but it’s surfable. Keep an eye on Tuesday afternoon the 22nd—6 ft from the ESE with a light cross-off and clean conditions. That’s a decent little session for a laugh.
The standout, if you can pick one, is Tuesday morning the 15th of September. The 5 ft East swell and glassy wind are going to make for the most user-friendly, clean waves of the whole period. It’s not the biggest, but the quality will be hard to beat.
For the experts, Monday morning the 14th with that 8 ft ESE swell and offshore wind is the call.
Steer clear of the big days on the 19th, 20th, and 23rd unless you’re on a gun and know what you’re doing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Fri night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1061 | 889 | 632 | 524 | 410 | 828 | 2562 | 878 | 1591 | 1846 | 1415 | 961 | 611 | 919 | 1313 | 1951 | 2431 | 1593 | 1944 | 1221 | 1351 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 5:18PM1.77m | 5:32AM1.58m | 5:45PM1.63m | 5:58AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.47m | 6:25AM1.31m | 6:38PM1.31m | 6:56AM1.16m | 7:13PM1.15m | 8:00AM1.01m | 9:23PM1.02m | 12:12PM1.04m | 00:26AM1.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:05AM0.12m | 11:29PM0.18m | 11:31AM0.24m | 11:54PM0.31m | 11:57AM0.38m | 00:21AM0.45m | 12:24PM0.53m | 00:52AM0.59m | 12:56PM0.68m | 1:44AM0.74m | 2:09PM0.83m | 5:05AM0.80m | 6:23PM0.81m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | |
mm | 3 | 1 | 13 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 43 | 6 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 |
1061 | 889 | 632 | 524 | 410 | 763 | 2562 | 612 | 1591 | 1846 | 1415 | 961 | 611 | 589 | 834 | 643 | 473 | 1593 | 1944 | 1221 | 1351 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | E 11 | E 10 | SW 14 | SSE 7 | — | E 11 | E 10 | — | S 8 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | — | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 12 |
479 | 373 | 224 | 224 | 202 | 231 | 108 | 878 | 96 | — | 35 | 33 | — | 22 | 31 | 171 | — | 473 | 570 | 878 | 619 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | S 12 | — | E 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 17 | — | S 12 |
— | — | 64 | 49 | 204 | 3 | — | 100 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 159 | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | SW 11 | — | S 7 | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | — | S 8 | — |
— | 4 | — | — | — | 828 | — | 113 | — | 398 | 175 | 127 | 389 | 919 | 1313 | 1951 | 2431 | — | — | 282 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 861 | 847 | 781 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 37 | 180 | 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.










