Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
15.7°C
1.5° 

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 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 3,402 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11AM (Sat 12th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 14s
Best Surf 5AM (Sun 13th Sep)13ft (4.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 5AM (Wed 16th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming our way for Buffalo Bay Wildside. Let’s cut straight to the chase – we’ve got a mixed bag of opportunities over the next couple of weeks, but there are a few windows where it could get really good.

We're starting off with a bit of a gap; the real action kicks off this Saturday morning, the 12th of September. The early call is for some waist high plus swell, around 5ft, coming out of the southwest. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a decent wetsuit. Saturday morning is absolutely glassy – zero wind – and that’s a major positive. The combined swell energy is moderate at 1049, so there’s some push. It’s a bit inconsistent here, so you might have to wait for your set, but when it comes, it’ll be worth the paddle. This is the first standout of the period.

Saturday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 6ft from the SW, but a light cross breeze kicks in, and you get a longer 16-second period. The energy jumps way up (2364), but the wind is a bit of a spoiler. It’s still surfable but not as clean as the morning.

Sunday the 13th is a big one but bring your big-wave board and your A-game. We’ve got a solid 12ft swell from the ESE with a short, punchy 9-second period. The wind is a clean off-shore all day, which sounds perfect, but that size is way too big for this spot unless you’re an expert. The energy is massive (3622), but honestly, for most of us, this is a day to watch or find a different break. The same goes for Monday morning – 8ft but with a choppy cross-onshore wind, making it a scratchy session.

Later Monday afternoon settles down to 7ft from the ESE, and we get another glassy window. The wind is dead calm again, and the energy is still solid (1255), but the wave comment is a bit sketchy. Tuesday the 15th morning gives us a clean, 5ft east swell with glassy conditions and decent 11-second period – that’s another good, clean session if you can sneak out.

Things get a bit messy from Wednesday the 16th through the middle of the following week. We get some decent sized SW swells, but the wind is all over the place – mostly cross or onshore. It’s not unsurfable, but it’s not going to be pretty. The energy stays moderate to strong, but the conditions are poor to marginal.

Now, we do have a real standout popping up on the horizon. Looking at the 26th of September, a Saturday, we’ve got a solid 8ft SW groundswell rolling in for the morning. The combined energy is massive (3083), and the wind is forecast to be glassy again. That’s a big, clean, powerful swell. However, at that size, it’s strictly for experienced surfers. The afternoon after that cleans up nicely with a 4ft SSW swell carrying a very long 19-second period. That kind of period will wrap in nicely here and offer some great shape, likely at this exposed spot. That afternoon session on the 26th is the best bet for the intermediate crew.

So, to sum it up: your best windows are this Saturday morning (12th) for clean, fun waves, and Saturday the 26th for a good blow-out session if you've got the skills. The first week has a few glassy windows worth chasing, but watch out for those big, windy days. The second week looks like a write-off until that final weekend.

Stay wet, stay salty.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
!
!
!
1
4
4
3
3
3
3
0
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
14
1.9
SW
16
2.2
SSW
16
3.5
ESE
9
3.5
ESE
10
3
ESE
10
2.3
ESE
10
2.1
ESE
10
1.7
E
10
1.6
E
11
0.8
SSW
18
1.7
SW
16
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
1.6
SW
12
1.6
SW
12
1.5
SW
12
1.8
SW
13
2
SW
14
2.1
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
825
1694
2472
1908
2474
1482
1053
833
608
606
413
1420
2680
1977
1103
786
736
583
1058
1536
1438
Wind (km/h)
0
WNW
10
SSE
25
ESE
25
E
25
E
10
ENE
20
WSW
5
SSE
5
NE
5
SW
10
SSE
10
SW
10
NW
20
SSE
5
NW
20
ESE
15
E
15
ENE
5
WSW
15
SW
15
W
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
4:21PM1.95m
4:36AM1.75m
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
Low Tide
10:09AM-0.01m
10:35PM0.01m
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
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:31
6:31
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:24
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:16
6:16
6:17
6:19
6:19
6:20
6:21
 mm
1
9
2
4
1
8
14
1
3
2
Temp °C
17
19
17
17
19
20
21
17
17
20
20
17
14
14
13
16
17
15
15
15
14
Feels °C
18
19
15
14
16
19
21
18
18
19
18
18
13
10
12
11
13
12
14
11
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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