Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 am 28 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
17.6° C
0.4° 

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 28 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 2,698 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 (Jul 29) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 1.8m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) 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 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 2AM (Wed 29th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 14s
Best Surf 2AM (Wed 29th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 14s
Most Powerful 5PM (Tue 28th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range outlook for Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a bit of a wild ride this time, so let’s get into it.

The first thing you need to know is that this spot is inconsistent. It doesn’t pump all the time, so when it lines up, you gotta move. Right now, we’ve got a solid run of surf starting from Tuesday, the 28th of July, but it’s a tricky one. That first swell is a beast – a solid 10 ft from the SSW, with a long 15-second period, packing a massive 3722 combined energy. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but honestly, at that size, this break is just too big for most of us. It’s a setup more for the experts, or maybe even the kite surfers, because that’s a lot of water moving around. Water temp is sitting at 64°, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing weird there.

We roll into the 29th and 30th, and the swell drops a bit but stays in the 6 ft to 6 ft range from the SW. The wind stays cross-off and clean, but the forecast calls it marginal – the tide or something just isn’t playing ball. Not a total write-off, but not a standout.

The first real standout hits on Friday morning, the 31st of July. We get a drop in size to 4 ft from the SW, but the wind flips to true offshore from the ENE, a gentle breeze, and it’s described as gentle offshore and clean. The energy is moderate at 870, but that clean, offshore glass will make it look way better than the height suggests. That’s your window if you want a smooth, fun session without the crowd.

But if you’re looking for the absolute best on offer, circle Monday afternoon, the 3rd of August. The swell pulses up to 5 ft from the SW with a very long 15-second period, and the energy jumps to 1659. More importantly, the wind goes glassy – dead flat, no ripple. That’s a rare treat for this spot. The report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers, and with that long period groundswell, it’ll be shaping up nicely on the reef. The only catch is that this spot can get crowded sometimes, so get there early.

After that, the week of the 4th to the 7th of August sees a lot of big, messy swell. We’re talking 8 ft to 12 ft from the SW, with onshore winds and lots of energy. It’s mostly too big and blown out for a good paddle surf. The 8th of August morning looks promising with an 8 ft SW swell and offshore wind, but it’s on the edge of the expert zone.

The final week, from the 9th of August onwards, the size just explodes. We’re looking at 15 ft to 20 ft swells from the SW, with energy readings in the tens of thousands. That’s serious, powerful ocean. For a spot like this, that’s going to be a washing machine, best left for the big-wave chargers or the kites. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but don’t plan a family trip around it.

So, to wrap it up: Friday morning the 31st of July for clean, fun waves, and Monday afternoon the 3rd of August for the glassy, long-period standout. The rest is either too big, too messy, or just marginal.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
3
4
3
3
4
4
2
4
3
2
4
3
3
3
3
1
2
3
4
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SSW
15
2.5
SSW
14
2.1
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
1.8
SW
13
1.7
SSW
13
1.7
SSW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.4
SW
13
1.2
SW
13
2.2
ESE
8
2.5
E
9
2.1
ESE
9
2
ESE
9
2
ESE
9
1.8
ESE
9
1.1
SW
13
1.1
SW
12
1.3
SW
13
1.6
SW
15
2.3
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3720
2698
1570
1200
1144
1061
932
841
690
473
629
1004
692
627
655
577
418
314
535
1091
2035
Wind (km/h)
20
ESE
25
E
20
ENE
15
E
25
E
15
ENE
15
ENE
30
E
15
NE
15
ENE
15
E
15
NNE
5
N
5
ESE
10
NNE
5
NNW
15
W
10
WNW
5
SSW
5
ESE
10
ENE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
off
High Tide
3:30PM1.55m
3:35AM1.61m
3:59PM1.64m
4:04AM1.66m
4:28PM1.71m
4:33AM1.68m
4:56PM1.75m
5:01AM1.68m
5:24PM1.77m
5:31AM1.64m
5:54PM1.75m
6:03AM1.58m
6:27PM1.70m
Low Tide
9:20AM0.26m
9:32PM0.33m
9:48AM0.18m
10:03PM0.26m
10:15AM0.12m
10:32PM0.22m
10:42AM0.08m
11:02PM0.19m
11:09AM0.08m
11:32PM0.20m
11:37AM0.11m
00:05AM0.23m
12:08PM0.18m
00:40AM0.29m
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:20
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:46
5:47
5:49
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
15
15
14
15
17
15
16
19
15
16
19
17
20
24
20
24
22
16
17
17
15
Feels °C
11
11
10
11
12
11
13
14
11
13
15
13
17
22
17
21
18
13
16
16
15
  • 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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