
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 4,117 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 14s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's talk about what's coming down the pipe for Buffalo Bay Wildside, but in the old measurements.
First off, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. There’s no surf on offer right now that’s worth a paddle out. The first real chance to get wet doesn't show up until Monday afternoon, the 10th of August, so we're looking at a couple of days of staring at flat or ugly water.
Monday, August 10th – Monday afternoon is when things start to look interesting. The swell is coming in at about 7 ft from the S, with a period of 10 seconds. It’s not massive, but the real story here is the wind. It’s a cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at about 9 mph, which is going to keep the surface clean. The combined wave energy is sitting at 1830, which is a solid, moderate push. This is the kind of session where the conditions make the most of what swell there is. It's looking excellent for experienced surfers, so if you’ve got the chops, this is your window.
Tuesday, August 11th – Tuesday morning is a bit of a tease. The swell bumps up to about 8 ft from the S with a 13-second period, but the wind and tide comments are a bit questionable. The energy is higher at 2318, but the conditions just aren’t locking in like Monday afternoon.
Wednesday, August 12th – Wednesday morning is another standout. We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a very long 20 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and with a cross-offshore wind from the ENE at about 9 mph, it’s going to be clean. The combined energy is 2247. The long period means those waves are going to have some serious punch and shape, and it’s best for a setup like this. Another excellent session for experienced surfers.
Thursday, August 13th – Thursday afternoon is the real highlight of this whole outlook. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period, and the wind is a pure offshore from the ENE at about 9 mph. That’s about as good as it gets for wind. The energy is 3200, a strong, powerful swell. The waves will be clean, lined up, and have plenty of grunt. This is the best session on offer. Get on it.
Friday, August 14th – Friday afternoon is a nice little wind-down from Thursday’s juice. The swell drops to about 4 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and the wind goes almost glassy, just a 3 mph offshore from the NNE. The energy is 930, which is a bit weaker, but the conditions are “very good.” A clean, fun session for a smaller board.
Saturday, August 15th – Saturday afternoon is interesting. The swell is only 5 ft from the ESE with a short 8-second period, but the wind is glassy from the S at 3 mph. The energy is weak at 293. This is a gamble on a clean, weak wave. Not a standout, but if you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s glassy.
Sunday, August 16th – Sunday afternoon is glassy again with a 4 ft E swell at 9 seconds and energy of 328. Same story as Saturday – clean but small.
Monday, August 17th – Monday afternoon looks good again. A 7 ft swell from the SW with a 16-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the ESE at about 6 mph. The energy is 2314. This is another excellent session for experienced surfers. Clean, powerful waves.
Tuesday, August 18th – Tuesday morning is glassy with a 6 ft SW swell and a 13-second period. Energy is 1186. Glassy conditions and a decent swell – another good, clean session.
Looking further out, Thursday, August 20th afternoon and Friday, August 21st morning both show promise. Thursday afternoon has a 8 ft SW swell with an 11-second period and a light cross-offshore wind from the ESE. That’s clean and solid. Friday morning is similar with a 7 ft SSW swell, also with light cross-offshore winds from the E. Both have moderate energy in the 1200-1300 range. Worth keeping an eye on, but a week and a half out, things can shift.
The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
Buffalo Bay Wildside is a known spot, and it can be inconsistent. But when the windows line up, it delivers. The real standouts are Thursday afternoon, August 13th and Monday afternoon, August 17th. If you can only pick one, make it Thursday the 13th – that offshore wind and long-period SW swell is the best combination we’ve got.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Sun morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Tue night, light winds from the NNE by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 23 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
4081 | 2658 | 3508 | 2110 | 1517 | 847 | 3755 | 2318 | 789 | 738 | 1544 | 1609 | 1978 | 2001 | 2778 | 1456 | 967 | 606 | 453 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:33AM1.38m | 1:23PM1.34m | 1:42AM1.52m | 2:17PM1.54m | 2:33AM1.66m | 3:01PM1.71m | 3:16AM1.75m | 3:41PM1.84m | 3:55AM1.80m | 4:18PM1.92m | 4:31AM1.80m | 4:52PM1.93m | |||||||
Low Tide | 7:09AM0.44m | 7:29PM0.46m | 8:06AM0.28m | 8:26PM0.29m | 8:51AM0.13m | 9:12PM0.15m | 9:30AM0.03m | 9:53PM0.06m | 10:05AM-0.03m | 10:31PM0.03m | 10:39AM-0.04m | 11:06PM0.05m | |||||||
— | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
5:52 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 24 |
Feels °C | 13 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 14 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ESE 8 | SSW 18 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SW 17 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SW 15 | ESE 8 |
4081 | 2658 | 2765 | 2110 | 1517 | 847 | 3755 | 2318 | 789 | 329 | 456 | 1609 | 702 | 560 | 2778 | 483 | 367 | 606 | 264 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | — | SSW 26 | SSW 23 | SSW 20 | SW 11 | SSW 17 | SSW 19 | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | SW 14 |
38 | 24 | 19 | 183 | 62 | 729 | 82 | — | 65 | 738 | 1544 | 119 | 1978 | 2001 | — | 1456 | 967 | — | 453 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 11 | — | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | S 10 | SSW 11 | S 10 | SW 10 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 9 | — | 17 | 26 | 254 | — | — | — | 18 | 247 | 31 | 38 | 1082 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 12 | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | — | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | N 3 |
— | — | 3508 | — | 22 | — | — | — | 472 | 587 | — | 690 | 1169 | 773 | 422 | 720 | 501 | 324 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 38 | 1 | 1044 | 1 | 369 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 382 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











