Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,873 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s 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 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) 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 3.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 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 we've got brewing for Buffalo Bay Wildside (Buffalo-Bay-Wildside). The water's sitting at 59°, which is about 4° colder than what we usually see this time of year. That's a noticeable chill, so you'll be wanting the thick rubber. A long-period groundswell is on the cards, so point breaks and reefs will be your best bet to get the most out of it. Don't expect a beginner-friendly week; this spot is inconsistent and sometimes crowded, so you'll want to pick your moments.
The first decent chance comes through on the morning of Thursday the 27th. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SSW with a 12-second period, and the glassy wind has me excited. The combined energy is moderate at 1393, but with those clean conditions, it'll be worth paddling out for the experienced crew. That glassy goodness holds into the afternoon.
Friday the 28th doesn't slip away either. A 5ft S swell with clean cross-off winds and a combined energy of 1007 will have some nice lines, again best for those who know what they're doing. The morning is a little smaller at 4ft, but still clean.
Now, the standout window. Skip ahead to the 1st of September. Tuesday morning brings glassy conditions again, with a solid 6ft SW swell (953 combined energy). It's a good one. The afternoon picks up to an excellent 6ft SW swell, clean cross-off wind, and a strong energy reading of 1423. That's the session to circle on your calendar.
After that, things get wild. A huge SW swell kicks in around the 2nd of September, hitting 20ft on the 3rd, with combined energy in the five-digit range. But the wind is a mess – strong cross-onshore, making it poor for surfing. This is just too big, and the quality isn't there. It would be more interesting for the kite crew than anyone paddling a surfboard. This big energy hangs around until the 5th, but the onshore winds and rain showers just ruin it.
We eventually get back to something manageable on the 8th of September. The morning is clean with a light offshore NE wind, a 4ft SW swell, and a combined energy of 476. Not a standout, but a clean, quiet surf to finish the run.
So, forget the monster swell days unless you're a tow-in crew. The best on offer is Thursday the 27th and Tuesday the 1st of September. Lock those in.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the E by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri night, min 15°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | ESE 10 | S 10 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | E 11 | E 12 | SW 9 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 638 | 652 | 2323 | 1810 | 2509 | 1831 | 1026 | 1051 | 1089 | 887 | 847 | 663 | 403 | 435 | 265 | 277 | 140 | 195 | 262 | 1247 | 1871 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:11PM1.34m | 2:15AM1.43m | 2:39PM1.49m | 2:44AM1.55m | 3:06PM1.63m | 3:12AM1.65m | 3:32PM1.75m | 3:40AM1.72m | 3:59PM1.84m | 4:08AM1.76m | 4:26PM1.89m | 4:37AM1.76m | 4:54PM1.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:02AM0.49m | 8:15PM0.51m | 8:30AM0.35m | 8:44PM0.38m | 8:56AM0.23m | 9:11PM0.26m | 9:21AM0.12m | 9:39PM0.16m | 9:46AM0.05m | 10:07PM0.09m | 10:13AM0.01m | 10:35PM0.06m | 10:40AM0.01m | 11:05PM0.06m | |||||||
 | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |  |  |  | |  | |
 | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 8 | SW 6 | WSW 8 | E 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 638 | 652 | 2323 | 1810 | 2509 | 1831 | 1026 | 1051 | 1089 | 486 | 542 | 551 | 394 | 335 | 265 | 107 | 92 | 356 | 262 | 212 | 1871 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SE 11 | SSW 16 | — | — | S 16 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 14 | ESE 7 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | E 11 | SSE 10 | E 11 | E 11 |
| kJ | 80 | 394 | 4 | 696 | — | — | 659 | 488 | 154 | 887 | 847 | 663 | 403 | 118 | 88 | 277 | 140 | 195 | 22 | 123 | 64 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | SW 13 | — | S 16 | SW 12 | SW 17 | SW 15 | SW 16 | E 9 | SW 13 | E 8 | SW 15 | — | SSE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 469 | 321 | — | 20 | 325 | 11 | 78 | 119 | 76 | 132 | 68 | 226 | — | 10 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 10 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | — | — | WSW 13 | SW 9 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 182 | 707 | 604 | — | — | — | — | 435 | 23 | 54 | — | — | 1427 | 1247 | 2588 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 382 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 80 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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