Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 14 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
14.6° C
2.6° 

Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 14s period, SW swell with 1,837 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 14s period. 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 2.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy 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 (Aug 15) at 11PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 15th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 14s
Best Surf11PM (Sun 16th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 15s
Most Powerful 8AM (Mon 17th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Grab your board and let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks have a bit of everything, but you gotta pick your moments.

The first real window of clean surf kicks off Friday, August 14th. Buffalo Bay Wildside (East London) is looking fun but a little inconsistent. The morning has a clean 5ft SW swell with a long 16-second period, light NNE cross-off at 6 mph and the water’s a cool 58°, which is 5° colder than usual for this time of year—that’s properly chilly, so a good hood is essential. There’s a solid 1317 of energy backing it, but the inconsistency will keep you on your toes. It’s a better option for the experienced crew, but the waves should be clean and well-shaped.

The rest of that day and into Saturday and Sunday stays in the 3-5ft range with SW swells. Saturday morning looks decent with a clean 4ft and light SE cross-off. Sunday afternoon turns glassy with a 4ft SW swell, but the period drops a bit and the energy fades. These are okay, but nothing on the standout level.

Now, here’s the first real standout. Monday morning, August 17th, the swell bumps up to 7ft from the SW with a 13-second period. It’s glassy with a light SSE breeze, and the energy jumps to 1712. This is the best clean push of the first week. It’s too big for beginners, but for the intermediate and above crew at Wildside, this is going to be firing. The direction is right in that SE optimum, which is exactly what this break wants.

Tuesday morning holds solid at 6ft with a clean ESE cross-off, but Tuesday afternoon picks back up to 7ft with a similar wind, so a solid day. However, by Wednesday morning it’s 7ft but with a WSW onshore wind, and the quality drops. That whole day is a bit of a write-off with the wind messing things up. The swell stays big, but the conditions turn to junk.

Thursday, August 20th, looks like a nice reset. Morning has a clean 6ft SW swell with glassy conditions and a 12-second period. That’s a good one for paddling out without getting hammered. The afternoon gets some cross-onshore, so morning is the go.

Then we have the weekend wall. August 22nd and 23rd see a big jump in size. Saturday afternoon pushes 16ft of SSW swell with a massive 13146 of energy. The period is a long 16 seconds. This swell is way too big for this break, and it’s going to be a washing machine. Sunday is still huge at 13ft. This is not for your paddle board, this is big wave territory and likely looks more interesting for the towing crew or just for watching. The break is exposed, but at this size, it’s all about survival, not style.

After the peak, it settles back down but remains solid through Monday and Tuesday, with around 10ft of SW swell and clean offshore ESE winds. Still too big for the average punter, but the conditions are clean and it could hold some heavy, grinding waves for those who know what they’re doing. By Wednesday August 26th, it's still 10ft, still big.

The last few days of the window, from August 27th onwards, see the swell slowly dropping. Thursday’s got 8ft but wind is onshore, so it’s messy. Friday the 28th is junk, with light rain and moderate cross-onshore winds making it choppy.

The final hope is Saturday morning, August 29th. It’s back down to a clean 5ft SW swell with a light easterly cross-off and a little less energy. It’s a nice clean end to the run, so if you missed the early action, that’s your last call.

So overall, the standout is definitely Monday morning, August 17th and that little pocket on Thursday morning, August 20th. The big stuff around the 22nd-23rd is for the big wave crew only.

Signing off, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
0
2
3
2
3
1
2
4
4
3
4
4
3
4
2
3
4
3
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
15
1.1
SW
15
1.1
SW
14
1
SW
14
1.2
SW
13
1.4
SW
13
1.2
SW
12
1.7
SW
15
2.1
SW
13
2
SW
13
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SW
13
2
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
1.7
SW
12
1.7
SW
12
1.6
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
954
696
472
471
357
464
649
428
1229
1589
1367
1167
1014
1306
1791
1462
1240
1025
752
765
722
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
20
SW
10
WNW
10
SE
15
ESE
10
N
10
W
5
W
5
NNE
5
SSE
5
S
5
WNW
10
ESE
15
ESE
5
WNW
10
WSW
10
WSW
5
NNE
5
SSW
10
W
10
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
4:52PM1.93m
5:05AM1.75m
5:26PM1.88m
5:37AM1.66m
5:57PM1.78m
6:08AM1.54m
6:27PM1.64m
6:38AM1.41m
6:58PM1.48m
7:10AM1.26m
7:31PM1.31m
7:49AM1.12m
8:20PM1.16m
Low Tide
10:39AM-0.04m
11:06PM0.05m
11:10AM0.01m
11:38PM0.12m
11:40AM0.10m
00:10AM0.22m
12:09PM0.23m
00:40AM0.35m
12:38PM0.38m
1:11AM0.49m
1:08PM0.53m
1:49AM0.63m
1:47PM0.68m
2:58AM0.75m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:07
7:05
7:05
7:03
7:03
7:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
Temp °C
24
27
14
17
20
23
18
18
16
19
18
15
17
18
15
19
18
15
18
19
15
Feels °C
21
26
14
15
18
20
17
16
14
18
17
15
16
16
16
18
17
14
18
18
13
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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