
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 18s period, SSW swell with 3,456 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 09) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 2.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the Eastern Cape. Let's get stuck into what's on the cards for Buffalo Bay Wildside.
Alright, we've got a bit of a slow burner to start with. The first few days are a bit of a tease. Wednesday the 9th has some small, clean surf, but the energy is pretty weak. The real action starts to build from Thursday the 10th, with a solid SW groundswell filling in. We’re looking at a long period swell that’s gonna be packing some serious punch, especially for a reef or point set-up like this. The water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing wild.
Now, if you're looking for the standout session, you gotta lock in Saturday the 12th afternoon. The swell is a solid 6ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the wind is a light ESE cross-off breeze. That's the recipe for some of the cleanest, most powerful lines you'll see all week. The wave energy is strong (2023), and it's gonna be a proper session for the experienced crew. It's a bit heavy for the learners, but for anyone who knows what they're doing, it's gonna be a gem.
The following week shows some serious size. The swell keeps pumping, but the wind gets a bit messy. Monday the 16th kicks up a big, strong SW swell (8ft, 16 seconds) but it's getting hammered by a strong onshore wind. That's a write-off. The real highlight of the second week is looking like Friday the 18th. Both morning and afternoon are looking clean, with a 6ft to 6ft SW swell and a 15-second period. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, then cross-off in the afternoon. That's a full day of quality waves with serious energy (1799 and 2957). It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it’s looking promising.
There's a few days in there where the swell gets too big for the average punter. The 21st and 22nd of September have some massive SSW swells predicted, easily over 13ft, which is strictly for the experts and even then, it's a case of 'do you feel lucky?'. The wind is actually favorable, but the raw power is immense. The wave energy numbers are through the roof (over 7000) so you can feel the weight of the ocean. That’s a serious ocean out there.
Overall, it's a solid run of south-west groundswells. The consistency is a bit patchy early on, but once it sets in, there are some absolute crackers to be had. The wind plays ball on a few key days, so pick your moment and you'll be rewarded.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
142 | 200 | 246 | 286 | 1057 | 1784 | 1162 | 932 | 1059 | 383 | 650 | 1387 | 2827 | 1903 | 1292 | 701 | 752 | 646 | 667 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:23AM1.63m | 2:45PM1.78m | 3:00AM1.73m | 3:19PM1.90m | 3:34AM1.79m | 3:51PM1.96m | 4:06AM1.79m | 4:21PM1.95m | 4:36AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.88m | 5:04AM1.68m | 5:18PM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:22PM0.24m | 8:34AM0.13m | 9:00PM0.11m | 9:08AM0.03m | 9:34PM0.02m | 9:40AM-0.02m | 10:05PM-0.01m | 10:09AM-0.01m | 10:35PM0.01m | 10:38AM0.04m | 11:02PM0.08m | 11:05AM0.12m | 11:29PM0.18m | ||||||
— | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
6:14 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 |
Temp °C | 23 | 29 | 29 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 17 |
Feels °C | 22 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
133 | 90 | 246 | 286 | 1057 | 1784 | 1162 | 932 | 1059 | 383 | 650 | 1387 | 2827 | 1903 | 524 | 643 | 752 | 646 | 667 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 9 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 10 | S 4 | SSE 5 | E 11 | SSW 8 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
142 | 200 | 83 | 65 | 361 | 53 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 143 | 94 | 71 | 144 | 382 | 1292 | 701 | 418 | 330 | 263 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 4 | SSE 9 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 6 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 |
27 | 114 | 36 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 37 | 36 | 15 | 186 | 565 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | — | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — |
7 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 534 | — | — | — | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Garden Route | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










