Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Break

Lat Long: 34.08° S 22.98° E

Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Buffalo Bay Wildside sea temperature is
15.7°C
1.5° 

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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 18s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 21,979 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period with S 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m 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 6.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 13s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (SAST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8PM (Thu 27th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 12s
Best Surf 2PM (Wed 2nd Sep)20ft (6.0m) 18s
Most Powerful 5PM (Wed 2nd Sep)20ft (6.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up at Buffalo Bay Wildside. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some real highlights if you time it right, but also some big, gnarly stuff that’s only for the brave.

The water’s sitting at 60°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year—so definitely bring a thicker suit if you’re heading out.

Thursday 27th August afternoon kicks things off with a solid 5ft south swell, period around 12 seconds, and a light ESE cross-off breeze. The combined swell energy is pumping at 1333 (moderate to strong). It’s clean and good for experienced surfers—this is a standout window, but don’t expect it to be empty; crowds are sometimes an issue here.

Friday 28th is a tale of two sessions. The morning is messy with a cross-on WSW breeze and only marginal conditions—skip it. But Friday afternoon glassed right off, with a light SSW breeze making it glassy. Swell drops a little to 4ft from the south, but it’s still got that 11-second period and clean face—very good surf for the patient.

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th are mostly poor to marginal, with onshore winds and weaker swell. Not worth getting excited about.

Monday 31st is poor again—moderate cross-onshore chop with 5ft swell—just leave it.

Then Tuesday 1st September—now we’re talking. The morning shows an 8ft SW swell, 12-second period, and light cross-on wind. It’s clean enough, but that’s getting big for intermediates—8ft is expert territory. The afternoon is the real gem: glassy conditions, 8ft SW swell, and glassy—this is excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a true standout, with strong energy (1658). Paddle out if you’ve got the skill.

Wednesday 2nd September is for the bonkers crew only—20ft SW swell with a 17-second period (very long groundswell), and offshore wind at 12 mph. The combined energy is off the charts at 42002 (very strong). This is way too big for paddle surfing—more like a big wave tow-in spot, and with the long period, it’ll be walling up on this break. Not for the faint-hearted.

Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th September sees a run of 10ft to 15ft swells from the south and southeast, with mostly clean cross-off winds. The energy is strong to very strong (3138 to 5938). These are all “too big for this break” warnings—again, experts only, and even then, it’s a proper mission. The Thursday 3rd morning is glassy with 11ft SW swell—if you’re an absolute charger, that’s a session.

Monday 7th September is a big change. By morning, the swell drops back to 7ft from the south, 10-second period, and glassy conditions. Excellent for experienced surfers, with clean faces and moderate energy (1588). The afternoon is just as good—6ft SSE swell, clean cross-off breeze. This is a proper pick for the more manageable stuff.

Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th September fade off into smaller 3ft to 4ft swells, with some light cross-onshore winds. Marginal to poor—honestly, not worth the paddle.

Thursday 10th is more of the same—small, onshore, not good.

But Friday 11th September brings a final window of hope: 6ft to 7ft SW swell, 10-11 second period, and a clean cross-off breeze from the east in the morning. Energy is moderate (803-934). It’s good surf, not epic, but clean and fun for those who’ve waited through the big stuff.

Overall, the standout windows are Tuesday 1st September afternoon (glassy, 8ft SW, expert-good) and Monday 7th September (manageable 7ft, glassy). If you’re an expert, the big swell from 2nd to 6th September is there, but it’s a serious commitment. For the rest, pick your moments and check the tides.

Keep an eye on the sky, and I’ll see you out there.

– Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds.

Thu
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
2
3
3
0
1
0
1
3
3
0
1
3
3
4
0
0
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
S
12
1.6
S
12
1.4
S
11
1.2
S
11
1.2
S
11
1
S
11
0.8
SSE
11
1.1
SW
11
1.6
SW
9
1.8
SW
12
1.8
SW
12
1.6
SW
11
1.4
SW
11
2.1
SW
11
2.5
SW
12
2.4
SW
12
2.3
SW
13
5
SW
14
6
SW
17
4.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
649
699
467
338
351
251
167
286
412
1009
855
663
463
963
1656
1638
1594
10091
21979
8789
Wind (km/h)
10
ESE
5
WNW
10
WSW
5
SSW
5
E
15
WSW
10
W
20
SW
15
WSW
5
SW
10
NNW
20
W
15
WSW
5
NW
5
W
0
WNW
30
WSW
30
WSW
20
SW
15
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-off
cross-on
on
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
High Tide
3:32PM1.75m
3:40AM1.72m
3:59PM1.84m
4:08AM1.76m
4:26PM1.89m
4:37AM1.76m
4:54PM1.90m
5:06AM1.72m
5:24PM1.85m
5:38AM1.64m
5:57PM1.76m
6:13AM1.53m
6:34PM1.62m
Low Tide
9:39PM0.16m
9:46AM0.05m
10:07PM0.09m
10:13AM0.01m
10:35PM0.06m
10:40AM0.01m
11:05PM0.06m
11:09AM0.05m
11:36PM0.12m
11:40AM0.14m
00:11AM0.21m
12:14PM0.26m
00:51AM0.35m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:50
6:50
6:48
6:47
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:06
6:06
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:08
6:09
 mm
3
2
2
2
3
Temp °C
27
22
20
20
18
17
17
16
13
14
13
13
15
13
17
18
14
14
13
12
Feels °C
26
22
19
19
18
15
15
15
10
12
11
9
12
11
15
15
11
8
8
7
  • 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