Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
13.8° C
3.4° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with 11,322 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s 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 16) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. 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 5.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5PM (Sun 16th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 12s
Best Surf 8AM (Thu 20th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Most Powerful11AM (Sun 23rd Aug)16ft (5.0m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next couple of weeks.

The water is sitting at 57°, which is a massive 6° colder than normal for this time of year. That's very unusual, so you'll want a thick wetsuit and maybe some booties if you're heading out.

We've got a bit of a slow start, with nothing much happening on the Sunday the 16th. The morning is a write-off with cross-on winds and only marginal surf, but the afternoon turns glassy with a 4ft SW swell, so it's surfable but not a standout. The real action kicks off Monday the 17th. Monday morning is looking excellent, with glassy conditions and a clean 7ft SW swell (moderate energy at 1788). That's a bit too big for beginners, but for experienced surfers it's a very good window. The afternoon holds similar quality with a 6ft SW swell and glassy conditions.

Tuesday the 18th is a write-off with onshore winds and marginal surf, and Wednesday the 19th is poor with 8ft SW swell and onshore winds making it messy. Thursday the 20th is frustrating – the swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW (strong energy at 2979), and the wind is glassy in the morning and clean in the afternoon, but this spot just can't handle that much size. It's only for experts, and even then it's borderline.

The next standout is Monday the 24th. The morning brings a 8ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15 second period, clean cross-off winds, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers (strong energy at 2813). The afternoon holds similar quality. That's a solid session for the crew who know what they're doing. Tuesday the 25th also has a nice clean morning with 6ft SW swell, but the afternoon is a real treat – a 4ft SSW swell with a massive 22 second period (very long period groundswell) and clean cross-off winds. The energy is strong at 2248, but that long period will make the waves break a bit straight at the beach, so hunt for a point or reef if you can.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th both have some good windows – Wednesday afternoon goes glassy with a 8ft SW swell (excellent for experts), and Thursday morning has offshore winds with a 7ft SW swell. After that, from Friday the 28th through to the end of the month, it's mostly messy with onshore winds, big swells, and poor to marginal conditions. The 30th and 31st see 12ft+ SW swells with strong winds, so that's a hard pass for paddle surfing – might be more interesting for kite surfing if that's your thing.

Overall, the best bet is Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, with Monday morning being the pick: clean, 8ft SSW groundswell, and a good window for anyone experienced.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
4
3
3
3
4
3
1
2
!
!
4
4
4
1
2
2
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
SW
12
1.7
SW
15
2.1
SW
13
1.9
SW
13
1.6
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
2.5
SW
12
2.3
SW
12
2.2
SW
12
3.5
SSW
13
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
2.2
SW
12
2
SSW
11
1.8
SW
11
1.5
SW
11
2.4
SW
11
4.5
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
428
1246
1613
1182
990
1266
1697
2111
1890
1602
1415
4041
3652
2068
1346
1008
757
515
1302
6717
Wind (km/h)
0
W
5
NNW
5
ESE
5
SSE
10
NW
10
WSW
5
S
10
ENE
10
WSW
15
WSW
10
W
5
WSW
10
SSE
10
ENE
5
ESE
10
ESE
15
WNW
10
W
10
W
30
WSW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
glassy
glassy
cross
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
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
9:23AM1.00m
10:47PM1.07m
12:37PM1.04m
00:51AM1.16m
Low Tide
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
3:17PM0.82m
6:04AM0.77m
6:39PM0.79m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:05
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:01
7:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:01
 mm
2
Temp °C
17
14
19
19
15
15
15
14
17
16
14
15
15
13
17
19
15
18
18
16
Feels °C
15
13
18
17
15
15
15
13
16
14
13
14
13
12
16
18
14
17
15
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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