
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 3,241 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period with SSW 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid little run starting Monday, July 13. The water’s sittin’ at 62°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. Monday morning is lookin’ clean with a glassy 4ft swell from the SSW, period around 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid moderate 508. That’s a nice, fun size for an intermediate. Light winds, no crowd stress yet – a real good way to kick off the week.
Monday afternoon stays glassy, swell drops a touch to 4ft, still clean. Tuesday, July 14, gets a bit trickier – the swell picks up to 5ft but shifts ESE with a shorter period around 8 seconds, and the wind’s onshore. It’s a bit of a washout, so I’d skip it. Wednesday morning, July 15, cleans right back up with a glassy 3ft from the east, period 9 seconds – fun little session if you’re keen for a quick paddle.
Now, the real standout is Thursday, July 16. Thursday morning we’ve got 8ft of SW groundswell, period a meaty 14 seconds, and the combined energy is banging at 2699 – that’s strong stuff. Winds are glassy, dead calm. This is expert territory, no question. The afternoon holds at 8ft with glassy conditions too. If you’ve got the skills and the nerve, this is the best day of the whole window. The long period means it’ll be better for a point or reef setup, but for Wildside, it’s gonna be powerful and clean.
Friday, July 17, gets messy with onshore winds and a 8ft swell – not great. Saturday, July 18, morning brings a nice surprise: 5ft from the south with a 12-second period, and a clean offshore breeze from the ENE. That’s a solid session for the confident intermediate. Sunday, July 19, is a write-off with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions.
We’ve got a bit of a lull from Monday, July 20, through Tuesday, July 21 morning – the swell’s manageable but nothing special. But hold on – Tuesday, July 21 afternoon, things get huge: 12ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 5337. That’s way too big for this break, even for experts. The same goes for Wednesday, July 22, with 10ft to 13ft, and Thursday, July 23, with 10ft. All of these are flagged as too big for the break – so unless you’re a tow-in crew, give it a miss.
Friday, July 24, is still oversized at 12ft in the morning, but by Friday afternoon it drops to 10ft and goes glassy. Still, that’s expert-only, and the break’s not really built for it. Saturday, July 25, backs down to 5ft, but the wind’s onshore and the conditions are marginal. Sunday, July 26, is a mess with rain and choppy wind.
The last real chance comes Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28. Monday morning starts small at 3ft from the SW, but it’s clean with a 13-second period – a nice little cruiser for the patient surfer. Monday afternoon bumps up to 6ft with a 12-second period, still clean. Tuesday, July 28, is glassy in the morning with 4ft, and clean in the afternoon. That’s a solid, fun end to the outlook.
Best of the bunch? Thursday, July 16, morning and afternoon – hands down. It’s clean, powerful, and the conditions are as good as it gets. Just know it’s for experienced surfers only. The second-best is Saturday, July 18, morning for the offshore winds and fun 5ft swell.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
279 | 260 | 328 | 275 | 287 | 254 | 168 | 679 | 3241 | 2633 | 1803 | 1279 | 1791 | 1333 | 377 | 594 | 297 | 235 | 374 | 551 | 431 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | on | on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 6:47AM1.48m | 7:15PM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 00:52AM0.30m | 12:52PM0.26m | 1:32AM0.42m | |||||||
7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | E 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
208 | 172 | 328 | 275 | 287 | 254 | 168 | 515 | 3241 | 2633 | 1803 | 1279 | 1791 | 1333 | 377 | 594 | 297 | 121 | 374 | 551 | 431 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 17 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 15 | SW 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 11 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 14 |
279 | 260 | 125 | 81 | 41 | 7 | 32 | 679 | 90 | 66 | 71 | 75 | 52 | 107 | 254 | 99 | 99 | 235 | 125 | 99 | 147 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | W 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SW 12 | SSW 18 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SW 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | E 9 |
21 | 2 | 42 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 123 | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 276 | 117 | 117 | 92 | 146 | 104 | 57 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | ESE 6 | — | — | W 3 | SW 4 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 1 | 15 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 52 | 96 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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.










