Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, E swell with 3,144 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period with ESE 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 (Sep 13) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m and 14s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) 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 1.5m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down Buffalo Bay Wildside for the next couple of weeks. This spot’s exposed but inconsistent, made for intermediate surfers, and it’s gonna throw a few real nice waves your way, along with some total duds. The water’s runnin’ about 60°F, which is a bit chillier than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget a thick suit.
The forecast starts Sunday the 13th of September, but it’s not great. Sunday morning brings a 7ft SSW swell with a 15-second period—proper long-period groundswell—and a combined energy of 2761 (strong). There’s light rain and a cross-off breeze, but the report says it’s marginal, so the tide or conditions are gonna spoil it. Sunday afternoon jumps to 10ft from the ESE, way too big for this break—only for the crazy experts—and the short 9-second period won’t help. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are pretty ordinary—on-shore wind, small swell, nothin’ special.
But here’s a real gem. Tuesday morning the 15th has a clean 5ft E swell with an 11-second period—good shape and energy—and the wind is glassy, dead calm. Combined energy is 861 (moderate), and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” For an inconsistent spot, that’s a little slice of heaven. It’ll be uncrowded, and the offshore wind means smooth faces. If you can get out then, go.
Wednesday the 16th is a mess—big 8ft SW swell but on-shore wind and strong energy (2463), just choppy. Thursday the 17th improves with a 6ft SW groundswell (13-second period) and cross-off wind, good for experienced surfers. Friday the 18th stays clean but the swell drops.
Then we get another winner. Saturday the 19th of September morning has a 8ft E swell with a short 7-second period—a bit fat—but cross-off wind keeps it tidy. The real highlight is Sunday the 20th of September. Morning brings a glassy 8ft ESE swell with a 9-second period, combined energy of 2396 (strong), and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a powerful, clean swell for the skilled crew. Afternoon stays clean too.
After that, it goes downhill. Monday the 21st gets choppy with cross-on wind, and from Tuesday the 22nd through to Saturday the 27th of September, it’s mostly poor—on-shore winds, small weak swells, or choppy junk. There’s a long stretch of no-good surf from the 23rd to the 26th.
The last standout is Monday the 28th of September. Morning serves up a 8ft SW swell with a 10-second period, combined energy of 2960 (very strong), and glassy wind. That’s a big, clean swell for experts. Afternoon stays clean with a 6ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds. A strong finish.
Best bets: Tuesday morning the 15th for a glassy, sneaky session, and Sunday the 20th of September for a bigger clean swell. For experts, Monday the 28th of September morning is the one to circle.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 13°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 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 15 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1714 | 1624 | 1961 | 1156 | 980 | 846 | 617 | 418 | 853 | 2318 | 2125 | 1053 | 897 | 800 | 628 | 563 | 1102 | 799 | 636 | 1076 | 1060 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 4:50PM1.88m | 5:04AM1.68m | 5:18PM1.77m | 5:32AM1.58m | 5:45PM1.63m | 5:58AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.47m | 6:25AM1.31m | 6:38PM1.31m | 6:56AM1.16m | 7:13PM1.15m | 8:00AM1.01m | 9:23PM1.02m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:38AM0.04m | 11:02PM0.08m | 11:05AM0.12m | 11:29PM0.18m | 11:31AM0.24m | 11:54PM0.31m | 11:57AM0.38m | 00:21AM0.45m | 12:24PM0.53m | 00:52AM0.59m | 12:56PM0.68m | 1:44AM0.74m | 2:09PM0.83m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 10 | 9 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 1714 | 1303 | 1961 | 1156 | 980 | 846 | 617 | 418 | 784 | 2318 | 2125 | 1053 | 897 | 800 | 628 | 563 | 1102 | 799 | 634 | 309 | 1060 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 16 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 15 | — | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | — | — | 792 | 418 | 373 | 224 | 194 | 194 | 853 | 143 | 100 | 75 | 52 | 53 | 48 | 272 | — | 31 | 171 | 453 | 663 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | E 11 | — | — | — | E 10 | SE 8 | — | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | 50 | 204 | 231 | — | — | — | 52 | 18 | — | 72 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | — | — | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | S 10 | — | S 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | — |
| kJ | 1047 | 1624 | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 320 | 183 | 99 | 107 | 126 | 329 | 432 | 636 | 1076 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 415 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 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.
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