
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, ESE swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,295 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period with SSW 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Buffalo Bay Wildside in the next 16 days are 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) 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 0.6m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at Buffalo Bay Wildside.
Okay, we've got a bit of a mixed bag coming our way. The first proper swell is a solid, long-period groundswell hitting Monday morning, but it's a two-punch affair. The water is sitting at 59°F which is a solid 4°F colder than usual for this time of year, so you'll definitely feel that bite.
The real standout is Monday, September 7th, first thing. The swell is 7ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, which is proper groundswell. The energy is massive at 2587, and the wind is a light offshore from the ESE (3 mph). That's going to be clean and powerful. This is a spot that's inconsistent, and when it does fire, the crowds are a possibility. Just be warned, at 7ft with that much energy, this is for the experienced crew only. The morning session is the pick of the entire run.
Monday afternoon drops off a bit. The swell backs down to 6ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. The energy is still high (1711), but it's not as clean as the morning.
After that, the surf goes quiet for a few days. Tuesday morning (Sept 8th) is small and weak, and Wednesday (Sept 9th) is tiny. There's a nice little window Tuesday afternoon (Sept 8th) with a clean 4ft SW swell (12-second period) and cross-offshore winds, but it's small. The energy is moderate (642).
From there, the week is a bit of a wait for the next pulse. Friday morning, September 11th looks promising again. The swell is 6ft from the SW with a long 13-second period. The wind is glassy (ESE, 3 mph). That's a clean, powerful wave for the more experienced surfer. The energy is strong (1140).
Saturday afternoon, September 12th also looks good. A clean 5ft SSW swell (14-second period) with cross-offshore winds (SE, 3 mph). Energy is high (1752). It's a bit smaller than Friday, but still quality.
Sunday, September 13th is a weird one. The morning sees a massive 10ft ESE swell, but the wind is glassy. The file says it's too big for this break, so unless you're a total charger looking for a beatdown, give it a skip. The afternoon is much better: a glassy 6ft SW groundswell (14-second period) with excellent energy (1945). That's a strong contender.
Tuesday, September 15th has a solid option in the afternoon. The swell is 7ft from the SW (14-second period) with a clean offshore wind from the NE (9 mph). The energy is high (1891). That's a proper, clean, powerful session.
The second week gets a bit wild. Wednesday, September 16th is a write-off with 12ft onshore crud and huge energy (7011) – too big and messy. Thursday, September 17th afternoon looks alright: a clean 8ft SSW swell (12-second period) with cross-offshore winds (ESE, 9 mph). Good energy (2245), but that's a big swell for this spot.
The last standout is Sunday, September 20th morning. A clean, glassy 7ft SW groundswell (14-second period) with a massive 2059 energy reading. That's a long way out, so it's a promising one, but don't book the flight just yet.
Overall, Monday morning and Friday morning are your best bets for the first week. The second week is more hit-and-miss with bigger, more powerful swells that are better left for the experts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | ESE 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1797 | 1261 | 442 | 325 | 314 | 142 | 198 | 290 | 277 | 897 | 2295 | 1423 | 1103 | 639 | 396 | 382 | 965 | 2032 | 1455 | 1184 | 846 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | off |
High Tide | 1:22PM1.41m | 1:40AM1.49m | 2:07PM1.61m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:36PM0.42m | 7:57AM0.28m | 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 | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 21 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 29 | 27 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Feels °C | 21 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 28 | 26 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SW 14 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 |
1797 | 1261 | 442 | 325 | 251 | 139 | 90 | 290 | 277 | 897 | 2295 | 1423 | 1103 | 639 | 289 | 382 | 965 | 857 | 1172 | 761 | 544 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | SSE 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | E 9 | E 10 | SW 12 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
268 | 58 | 437 | 243 | 314 | 142 | 198 | 85 | 64 | 463 | 77 | 57 | 37 | 135 | 396 | 273 | 54 | 2032 | 1407 | 1184 | 846 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SW 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SSE 9 | — | — | E 11 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — | SSW 5 |
35 | 57 | 236 | 108 | 77 | 32 | 114 | 36 | 16 | 80 | 8 | — | — | 37 | 106 | 372 | — | — | — | — | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 4 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | — | — |
487 | 335 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 733 | 1374 | 1455 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 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.










