Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 3,708 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty.
Well, you know what, I'm gonna be straight with you. The first few days of this forecast are a bit of a tease. Buffalo Bay Wildside is firing on all cylinders with swell, but the problem is, it's *too much* swell. We've got a pulse of strong, long-period groundswell (3131 moderate-to-strong energy) arriving on Friday, July 10th, with 10-foot of SSW swell. The wind is glassy, and conditions look perfect, but that wave energy is just too big for this spot. It's a total write-off for paddle surfing. The same goes for the afternoon, and then again on Saturday afternoon.
The first real session that's actually on the cards is Saturday morning, July 11th. The swell drops to a still-chunky 8-foot, still from the SSW, with a 12-second period. The wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze from the east. This is expert territory for sure, but if you've got the skills and the board, the conditions are excellent. The wave energy is still very high (2186), and the break is inconsistent, so you'll be waiting for the right ones, but when they come, they'll be clean.
Sunday, July 12th, is the real standout of this first week. The swell drops to a much more manageable 5-foot, and the wind stays light and cross-off from the ESE. The conditions are clean, and the wave energy is a moderate 822. This is the sweet spot for the break. It's the best on offer for the weekend, and it's where you'll find the best balance of size and shape.
The following week offers a few more windows. Tuesday, July 14th, is glassy in the morning with 5-foot swell from the ESE, but it's a short-period swell (8 seconds), so it won't have much punch. Then, on Thursday, July 16th, we get another pulse of solid groundswell, 8-foot from the SW, with a 13-second period. The wind is glassy, and the wave energy is very strong (2062). This is another one for the experienced crew only.
Looking further out, the long-range stuff is a bit of a gamble. The 22nd and 23rd of July have some promising signs, with glassy mornings and a clean 8-foot of SW groundswell with a 14-second period, but it's far off. The end of the window on the 24th and 25th looks like another monster swell event, with over 20-foot of massive groundswell predicted. That's a head-high-plus wave on steroids, and it's a show for the eyes only, not for surfing.
So, for the next 16 days, keep your eyes on Saturday morning, July 11th, for the experts, and Sunday, July 12th, for the best all-round window. The rest of the time is either too big, too small, or too windy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thu 16 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3708 | 3123 | 2773 | 2094 | 2186 | 1659 | 1365 | 631 | 515 | 408 | 312 | 339 | 252 | 256 | 254 | 211 | 221 | 635 | 2724 | 1952 | 1594 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:10PM1.43m | 12:05PM1.25m | 00:31AM1.50m | 1:19PM1.36m | 1:38AM1.60m | 2:17PM1.51m | 2:34AM1.69m | 3:08PM1.65m | 3:23AM1.77m | 3:53PM1.76m | 4:08AM1.79m | 4:37PM1.83m | 4:50AM1.77m | 5:18PM1.85m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:49AM0.47m | 6:00PM0.52m | 7:05AM0.37m | 7:18PM0.42m | 8:06AM0.25m | 8:21PM0.30m | 8:57AM0.13m | 9:15PM0.19m | 9:43AM0.05m | 10:03PM0.12m | 10:24AM0.00m | 10:48PM0.10m | 11:03AM0.00m | ||||||||
 |  | |  | |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — |
 | 5:32 | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | ESE 7 | SSW 10 | S 10 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 3708 | 3123 | 2773 | 2094 | 2186 | 1659 | 1365 | 631 | 515 | 197 | 312 | 339 | 252 | 256 | 254 | 211 | 221 | 635 | 2724 | 1952 | 1594 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | SE 14 | — | — | W 12 | W 12 | SW 18 | SSE 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 11 | ESE 7 | E 7 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SW 6 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 |
| kJ | 9 | 8 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 12 | 191 | 25 | 408 | 114 | 112 | 122 | 76 | 39 | 24 | 49 | 145 | 130 | 110 | 108 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | SSE 11 | W 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SE 9 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 94 | 60 | 41 | 38 | 92 | 130 | 3 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 3 | ESE 4 | — | — | SE 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | WSW 6 | — | — | — | ESE 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 6 | 33 | — | — | 281 | 255 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 103 | — | — | — | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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.
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