Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 am 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
17.7° C
0.5° 

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 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with 9,088 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m 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 4.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 5AM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Sun 19th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 12s
Best Surf 8PM (Thu 23rd Jul)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 2AM (Fri 24th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s get into it.

The forecast kicks off with a real sweet spot, but it’s got a pretty short window of glory before things get tricky. For the first few days, we’ve got some solid, clean surf on offer, but then it turns into a run of days where the conditions are marginal, and then we’re looking at a stretch where the swell gets way too big for most of us. The second week is a write-off for paddle surfing, with massive, unruly energy.

First up, the standout. Buffalo Bay Wildside is looking prime on Sunday morning, the 19th of July. We’re talking a 5ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy. The water is sitting at 64°, which is about average for this time of year. The energy is moderate (837), and it’s setting up for some really clean, fun waves. The swell direction is a tick up from the forecast optimum, so it should be working well. Expect some crowds, though – it’s a spot that can get busy.

Monday morning, the 20th, is also a beauty. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the SW, 11-second period, with glassy conditions again. The energy is moderate (1051), and it’s going to be excellent for experienced surfers. This is your second best window.

Tuesday the 21st keeps the good times rolling. The morning is glassy, with a 6ft SSW swell and a very long 14-second period. The energy is strong (1695). That long period means the waves will have heaps of power and shape, but it might be a bit straight at this beach break, so keep that in mind. The afternoon sees the swell hit 8ft with the same long period, but the wind is clean cross-off, so it’s still very good for the experienced crew.

Then we hit a slump. From Wednesday the 22nd right through to Saturday the 26th, the conditions get messy. The winds turn onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf quality goes downhill. There’s a gap of about three days where the recommendation is poor.

The next run of decent conditions picks up again on Sunday the 26th. The morning brings a 6ft SW swell, 12-second period, with clean cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (1112). The afternoon is similar, with a 5ft swell. It’s a nice, clean finish to the first week.

But hold on. From Monday the 27th, the wind turns onshore again, and the surf quality is marginal for the rest of the month. The swell is still decent in size, but the wind is just not cooperating.

Then, from Friday the 31st of July, things go seriously wild. The swell jumps to 15ft from the ESE, with a short 10-second period. The energy is massive (3948). The wind is offshore or glassy, so it’s clean, but the size is only for absolute experts. The combined energy is very strong (4,422 to 7,196). This trend continues right through the first few days of August. The swell stays huge, over 12ft, and is way too big for this break. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might look interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a hard pass. The best of the second week, if you’re insane, would be the glassy afternoons on the 31st of July and the 1st of August, but the swell is still 15ft.

The run of huge, unsurfable swell lasts until Monday the 3rd of August, when it finally drops back to a manageable 5ft, but the conditions are marginal again.

So, there you have it. Don’t sleep on the first week, especially Sunday and Monday the 19th and 20th, and Tuesday the 21st. After that, it’s a waiting game until the end of the month, and even then, it’s just for the brave or the foolish.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
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
0
2
4
2
4
4
4
4
2
1
0
1
3
!
!
!
!
!
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
12
1.9
SW
9
2.5
SW
9
1.8
SW
11
1.2
ESE
12
0.9
SSW
16
1.8
SSW
14
2.5
SSW
14
2.4
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
1.8
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
2.1
SW
10
2.5
SW
11
4
SSW
17
3.5
SSW
15
3
SSW
15
3
SSW
14
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
672
525
1083
716
371
373
1370
2345
1942
1249
976
528
869
1593
9088
5457
3682
3246
3017
2275
1462
Wind (km/h)
5
NW
25
W
15
WNW
5
W
5
SSW
5
N
0
SE
10
ESE
5
NE
15
W
20
WSW
15
WNW
10
W
10
SW
10
NE
5
W
5
SW
5
NW
0
SW
5
SSE
10
ENE
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
off
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
7:15PM1.61m
7:27AM1.34m
7:56PM1.47m
8:12AM1.21m
8:44PM1.33m
9:14AM1.10m
9:54PM1.22m
10:58AM1.05m
11:34PM1.19m
12:41PM1.10m
00:56AM1.24m
1:43PM1.21m
1:50AM1.33m
Low Tide
12:52PM0.26m
1:32AM0.42m
1:29PM0.40m
2:16AM0.53m
2:10PM0.55m
3:12AM0.63m
3:07PM0.67m
4:36AM0.69m
4:43PM0.75m
6:22AM0.67m
6:36PM0.72m
7:32AM0.58m
7:43PM0.63m
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:40
5:42
5:43
 mm
1
Temp °C
17
17
16
16
16
13
15
16
13
17
17
14
15
15
15
17
17
14
15
15
13
Feels °C
17
14
11
15
14
12
14
14
11
14
14
11
13
12
15
16
15
14
15
14
13
  • 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