Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
14.5°C
2.8° 

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 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with 5,573 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 12s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Best Surf 8AM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Sun 6th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna give you the straight-up on what’s cooking for Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a bit of a wild ride over the next couple of weeks, with some massive swells and a few windows of clean perfection.

The overall pattern is simple: a lot of big, powerful SW groundswell, but the trick is nailing the wind. When the trade winds or local breezes cooperate, it’s on. When they don’t, it’s a washing machine. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first real action kicks off on Wednesday, September 2nd.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd, starts with a solid 10ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds. The combined energy is pumping at 2831, which is strong. The wind is a light SE cross, so it’s clean but the swell is already too big for most. This is for experienced surfers only. The water is a chilly 58°, which is about 5° colder than normal, so you’ll need a good wetsuit. By the afternoon, the wind shifts to a light ESE cross-off, the swell drops to 8ft, and it cleans up. The conditions are excellent for the crew that can handle it.

Thursday morning, September 3rd, is a write-off with moderate rain, onshore wind, and a messy 5ft SW swell. By the afternoon, it goes to hell: heavy rain, 25 mph SE cross-wind, and a short-period 10ft S windswell. That’s not surfable. The next few days, from Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th, are a mixed bag of marginal surf. Friday and Saturday see strong fresh breezes with 8ft to 8ft swell, but the period is short (8 seconds or less), so it’s mushy and messy.

Sunday, September 6th, is a standout. The morning offers a 8ft SSW groundswell with a very long 19-second period. The combined energy is a massive 4676. The wind is a clean 12 mph cross-off from the East. This is world-class potential, but that long period at a beach break setup can make it close out or shift around. The afternoon is even bigger, with 10ft SSW swell at 18 seconds and 6373 on the energy meter. Again, wind and tide are favorable, but the size is for experts only. If you’re a charger, this is your window.

Monday, September 7th, sees the swell dropping to 6ft, but the wind goes onshore, making it choppy and marginal. Tuesday the 8th is tiny with 3ft swell and light cross-shore winds. The middle of the week, September 9th and 10th, is small but promising. On Thursday, September 10th, we get a 5ft to 5ft SW groundswell with glassy conditions in the afternoon. The wind is light from the SSE, almost zero. That’s the kind of clean, small day you can get a log out for. The period is 12 seconds, so there’s some push.

The next real standout, far out in the forecast, is Sunday, September 13th. Another big pulse of SW groundswell, 10ft at 13 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is 6045. It’s massive, and it’s for the experienced crew only. Tuesday, September 15th, is more manageable with 6ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is light and variable.

The final highlight is Wednesday, September 16th. A 7ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is 3098. This is an excellent window for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines. The afternoon builds to 10ft, but it gets a bit onshore.

So, the best bet on offer? If you can handle the size, the morning of Sunday, September 6th, with that 8ft, 19-second groundswell and clean East cross-off wind is the pick of the first week. For the second week, the glassy morning of Wednesday, September 16th, with 7ft SSW groundswell is a solid call, but it’s a long way out so keep an eye on it.

The rest of the 16 days has a lot of marginal, blown-out, or simply too-big surf. We’re looking at about a 5-day gap from Thursday the 3rd through the 8th where it’s not really worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon night).

Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
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
4
3
0
!
2
1
2
2
1
3
4
!
5
1
3
3
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
2.3
SW
13
1.6
SW
12
3
S
8
4
SSE
9
2.3
SE
8
2
ESE
8
2.3
ESE
7
1.4
SSW
11
1.3
SSW
10
2.1
ESE
7
2.3
SSW
19
3
SSW
18
2.2
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
14
1.9
SSW
14
1.7
SW
13
1.3
SW
12
1
SW
12
0.9
SW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2824
2340
1671
811
1093
2343
702
513
565
415
341
422
4044
5573
2300
1447
1291
981
503
272
172
Wind (km/h)
10
SE
15
ESE
5
ESE
10
S
40
SE
35
SE
30
ESE
30
ESE
20
E
20
E
30
ESE
20
E
20
E
30
E
10
NE
15
WSW
10
W
5
WSW
15
SW
5
SSE
5
NE
Wind State
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
off
High Tide
6:34PM1.62m
6:54AM1.38m
7:20PM1.45m
7:52AM1.21m
8:36PM1.27m
9:53AM1.10m
10:59PM1.21m
12:15PM1.21m
00:43AM1.33m
1:22PM1.41m
1:40AM1.49m
2:07PM1.61m
2:23AM1.63m
Low Tide
12:14PM0.26m
00:51AM0.35m
12:56PM0.42m
1:45AM0.51m
1:58PM0.59m
3:22AM0.65m
4:09PM0.71m
5:49AM0.61m
6:29PM0.60m
7:09AM0.45m
7:36PM0.42m
7:57AM0.28m
8:22PM0.24m
clear
clear
part cloud
mod rain
heavy rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:46
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:09
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:12
6:13
6:14
 mm
8
26
5
Temp °C
16
17
15
15
15
16
16
16
15
16
18
16
19
22
18
20
20
18
17
17
16
Feels °C
14
14
15
16
13
10
10
10
9
12
13
12
16
18
16
20
18
19
16
17
16
  • 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