
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 3,708 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Buffalo Bay Wildside has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
First up, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The surf kicks off proper on Tuesday afternoon, July 7th. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. That afternoon, we’re looking at a solid 6 ft SW groundswell with a long 12-second period. The combined energy is a moderate 1037, and the wind is glassy from the SSW at just 3 mph. It’s clean, it’s punchy, and it’s got that deep water energy. This is the pick of the entire opening run – a real standout. Just know it’s a touch big for beginners, and the spot is inconsistent, so don’t expect a wave every minute. Crowds could be around sometimes, but with that kind of quality, it’ll be worth sharing a few.
Wednesday the 8th gets a bit messy. Morning sees the swell bump to 7 ft SW at 13 seconds, but a 9 mph W cross-onshore chops it up. The energy jumps to 1870, but the quality drops. By the afternoon, it’s onshore and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.
Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are a tale of missed potential. We’ve got a massive 10 ft SSW swell with long periods (13-14 seconds) and glassy conditions, and the combined energy is through the roof – over 3400. But the forecast says it’s simply too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, that long period groundswell might make it close out hard. Skip it unless you’ve got a death wish.
Saturday the 11th offers a bit of a reprieve. Morning brings a 8 ft SSW swell with clean, cross-offshore wind from the ESE at 6 mph. The energy is still strong at 1929. This is another one for experienced surfers, but it’s way cleaner than the days before. The afternoon gets a little crossed up, though.
Sunday the 12th sees the swell back off to a much more manageable 5 ft from the SSW, period dropping to 11 seconds, and the energy down to 955. Glassy conditions in the morning and clean in the afternoon – this is a lovely little window for intermediate surfers. The waves won’t have that same grunt, but you’ll be riding clean, peelers.
Monday the 13th gets a little weird. We get a sudden shift to an 8-second, short-period ESE swell at 6 ft. The energy is still decent at 706, but that short period means weak, crumbly waves. The cross-onshore wind doesn’t help. Tuesday the 14th is better with a glassy 6 ft ESE swell at 10 seconds – clean and rideable.
Now, there’s a big lull from Wednesday the 15th through to Saturday the 18th. The swell drops right off to 3 ft or so, and the wind gets nasty. A 28 mph cross-onshore on the 16th and 22 mph on the 17th? That’s just a mess. Don’t bother; the kite surfers might love that onshore blow, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a total write-off.
Hold onto your boards for Sunday the 19th. This is the big one. We get a 8 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, pushing a massive 2882 combined energy. The wind is glassy offshore from the ENE in the morning, and cross-offshore in the afternoon. This is a true expert’s standout. That kind of period on a big swell at a beach-and-reef setup can be very powerful and might break a bit straight, but with that glass, it’s going to be epic. Definitely too big for beginners.
The run closes out nicely. Monday the 20th is a very good 6 ft SW swell with a light wind, and Tuesday the 21st sees 5 ft SSW with clean conditions. Wednesday the 22nd finishes with a solid 8 ft SSW swell and cross-offshore wind – another clean, powerful session for the experienced crew.
So, to boil it down: Tuesday afternoon, July 7th is your opening standout – clean, glassy, and solid. But the absolute best on offer is Sunday, July 19th. That’s a big, clean, powerful groundswell with perfect wind. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, that’s the one you clear your calendar for.
Stay safe, and surf it when it's good.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
970 | 1498 | 1569 | 1450 | 2549 | 3463 | 2848 | 3708 | 3468 | 2860 | 2282 | 1929 | 1840 | 907 | 550 | 394 | 456 | 361 | 524 | 928 | 692 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 8:36PM1.48m | 9:05AM1.23m | 9:46PM1.44m | 10:33AM1.20m | 11:10PM1.43m | 12:05PM1.25m | 00:31AM1.50m | 1:19PM1.36m | 1:38AM1.60m | 2:17PM1.51m | 2:34AM1.69m | 3:08PM1.65m | 3:23AM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:05PM0.42m | 3:05AM0.50m | 3:08PM0.50m | 4:23AM0.51m | 4:29PM0.55m | 5:49AM0.47m | 6:00PM0.52m | 7:05AM0.37m | 7:18PM0.42m | 8:06AM0.25m | 8:21PM0.30m | 8:57AM0.13m | 9:15PM0.19m | 9:43AM0.05m | |||||||
— | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | |
5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | 5:36 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SE 7 | SSW 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
970 | 1498 | 1569 | 1450 | 2549 | 3463 | 2848 | 3708 | 3468 | 2860 | 2282 | 1929 | 1840 | 907 | 213 | 394 | 327 | 361 | 524 | 928 | 692 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | ESE 9 | SE 17 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | E 13 | — | W 12 | W 12 | SW 18 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 10 | SSW 10 |
58 | 38 | 283 | 601 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 12 | 550 | 25 | 353 | 222 | 198 | 102 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 22 | SSW 20 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 12 | W 11 | S 13 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 |
9 | 76 | 18 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 123 | 79 | 81 | 47 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | WSW 5 |
— | — | — | 254 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 208 | 182 | 343 | 456 | — | — | — | 41 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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.











