
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 14,739 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 6.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 20ft (6.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's brewin' for Buffalo Bay Wildside. We've got a real mixed bag of heavy water and clean windows, so pay attention.
The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is pretty much what you'd expect for the middle of July.
First up, we have a bit of a slow start. The first proper window is Thursday, July 16th, in the morning. The swell is a solid 8ft from the southwest with a very long period of 14 seconds, packing moderate-to-strong energy (2684). That's a groundswell, and while it's got the juice, it's a touch big for beginners. The wind is glass – absolute perfection – making for some really smooth, clean lines. This is the standout of the early window.
The session fades into the afternoon with some clouds and the wind picking up onshore, the quality drops off. Friday morning, July 17th, brings another good look. Swell eases a hair to 8ft still from the SW with a 12-second period and a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is down a notch (1503) but still punchy. A solid session for experienced surfers.
We've got a bit of a lull through Saturday and Sunday, with the swell dropping. Saturday morning, July 18th, is small and a bit choppy, but Saturday afternoon goes glassy on a 6ft SW swell (998 energy) – that's a sneaky good clean-up session if you're in the water.
Then things get gnarly. From Tuesday, July 21st, the swell absolutely cranks up. Tuesday morning brings a 12ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period (5496 energy) and glassy east winds. The problem is, that's way too big for this break. This is for the experts only, and even then, with such a long period, it'll be breaking heavy and straight at the beach. The same massive swell runs through the 22nd and 23rd, hitting 20ft on Wednesday afternoon with a whopping 12373 energy – that's just survival stuff, not a fun paddle.
We get a messy blip on Friday, July 24th with strong onshore wind and rain.
The real second standout comes on Saturday, July 25th. The swell settles back to 8ft from the SW, still with a very long 14-15 second period (3477-4533 energy). The morning has an offshore breeze, and the afternoon goes glassy. This is the pick of the second week – clean, powerful, and manageable for experienced surfers. It would be a shame to miss it.
After that, the pattern turns back to being too big and again windy. We get one final good chance on Wednesday, July 29th, with a glassy morning and a solid 8ft SW swell (2905 energy), but Thursday, July 30th, is back to being too big for the spot.
So, the best on offer is Thursday morning, July 16th for the pristine glass, and Saturday, July 25th for the clean, powerful wrap-up. Don't waste your time on the 3m-plus days here.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wed 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | S 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
822 | 3241 | 2633 | 1862 | 1173 | 1448 | 884 | 478 | 314 | 752 | 663 | 537 | 997 | 572 | 471 | 627 | 1562 | 5457 | 4908 | 3209 | 3234 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on |
High Tide | 4:37PM1.83m | 4:50AM1.77m | 5:18PM1.85m | 5:30AM1.70m | 5:58PM1.81m | 6:09AM1.60m | 6:37PM1.73m | 6:47AM1.48m | 7:15PM1.61m | 7:27AM1.34m | 7:56PM1.47m | 8:12AM1.21m | 8:44PM1.33m | 9:14AM1.10m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:48PM0.10m | 11:03AM0.00m | 11:31PM0.12m | 11:41AM0.05m | 00:12AM0.20m | 12:17PM0.14m | 00:52AM0.30m | 12:52PM0.26m | 1:32AM0.42m | 1:29PM0.40m | 2:16AM0.53m | 2:10PM0.55m | 3:12AM0.63m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | |
5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | 5:40 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 10 | S 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 |
745 | 3241 | 2633 | 1862 | 1173 | 1448 | 884 | 478 | 314 | 752 | 663 | 537 | 997 | 572 | 471 | 627 | 1562 | 5457 | 4908 | 3209 | 3234 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | S 13 | SW 10 | S 11 | SW 12 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 13 | S 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 |
594 | 69 | 51 | 82 | 82 | 55 | 51 | 119 | 208 | 196 | 306 | 56 | 33 | 99 | 39 | 69 | 66 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 11 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | — |
113 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 119 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 35 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 8 | — | — | — | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
822 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 398 | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 77 |
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.











