Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 11 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
16.8° C
0.5° 

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 12 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 3,718 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period with S 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 (Jul 12) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 18s. Another secondary swell of 1.4m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore 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 17) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore 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 (Jul 18) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sun 12th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Best Surf 5AM (Thu 16th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful11PM (Fri 17th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 13s

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


Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some standout moments if you pick your windows.

The first real surfable days are kicking off this Sunday, the 12th of July. We’ve got a solid SSW groundswell coming in, with a wave height of 5 ft and a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (983), and it’s looking clean, with a light easterly cross-off breeze. That’s 5 ft of clean, lined-up swell. But it’s inconsistent here, and crowds are possible, so you’ll want to be sharp. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Monday the 13th is looking even better for the morning. The swell drops a touch to 4 ft, still from the SSW, but the wind goes glassy. I’m talking zero wind, dead calm. That’s a major positive. The combined energy is still moderate (520), and the quality is very good. For a spot that can be picky, this is a prime window.

Tuesday the 14th has a tricky one. The morning is glassy again with a 4 ft SE swell (369 combined energy), good for a grovel, but the real gem is Tuesday afternoon. The wind goes glass again, and the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the ESE (554 combined energy). That afternoon session is a real standout.

We start to see a bigger pulse coming through Thursday the 16th. That morning we’ve got an 8 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy jumps to 2909. That’s moderate-strong energy, and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Keep in mind that at 8 ft, it’s getting big for this break, so know your limits. The long period (14 seconds) means it’ll have plenty of power, but this spot is a beach break, so it might be a bit straight.

Things get too big from Friday the 17th through the weekend. The swell hits 10 ft from the SSW, with energy values up in the 2800 to 2900 range. The wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is genuinely too big for this break. The 18th of July has some cleaner 7 ft SSE swell, but with a moderate easterly breeze, it’s marginal.

The following week has a couple of interesting windows. Monday the 20th is a write-off with onshore wind and poor conditions. The 21st is even worse with rain showers and a fresh breeze – a total skip.

But then we get a massive pulse on Wednesday the 22nd. The morning is glassy, with a 10 ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 3815. Again, it’s too big for this spot. The same story continues through the 23rd and 24th of July. We’re seeing 10 ft to 12 ft of SSW swell with incredible energy, but it’s simply too powerful for Buffalo Bay Wildside. The 25th is a mess with strong winds.

The pick of the whole long-range outlook is Monday the 27th of July. We’ve got a 7 ft SSW swell with a 13-second period, combined energy of 1497, and a light ENE cross-off breeze. The conditions are clean, and the swell size is manageable for stronger intermediate to expert surfers. It’s a promising session, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

The first week has some genuine glassy gems, especially the 13th and the afternoon of the 14th. The second week is mostly about huge, unsurfable swell, but the 27th is a beacon of hope. Stay sharp, and
Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

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

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Sat
18
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
1
2
2
5
4
3
!
!
!
!
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
S
12
1.6
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
11
1.4
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
10
1.2
S
10
1.3
ESE
8
1.1
SE
9
1.6
ESE
10
1.2
ESE
9
1.1
E
9
0.9
SW
18
2.5
SW
15
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
3
SW
13
3
SW
12
3
SSW
12
3
SSW
12
2.2
SSE
13
1.8
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1365
642
452
408
279
296
240
186
471
248
203
444
2999
2822
1977
2884
2736
2839
2598
1605
1255
Wind (km/h)
15
ENE
10
E
15
E
10
NE
0
SW
5
SE
5
NNE
5
WSW
0
SW
5
W
5
W
5
SSW
5
NE
5
NW
10
W
15
WNW
10
WSW
5
SSE
20
E
20
E
20
E
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
cross
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
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
5:30AM1.70m
5:58PM1.81m
6:09AM1.60m
6:37PM1.73m
Low Tide
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
11:31PM0.12m
11:41AM0.05m
00:12AM0.20m
12:17PM0.14m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:31
7:31
7:31
7:31
7:30
7:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:34
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
 mm
2
Temp °C
15
17
18
15
18
18
15
19
19
16
17
17
15
19
19
17
15
14
14
16
18
Feels °C
12
15
15
14
18
16
14
18
17
15
16
15
14
18
16
15
13
13
13
12
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Buffalo Bay Wildside:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest