
Surf Forecasts:
Buffalo Bay Wildside surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with 3,651 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s period with ESE 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 (Aug 03) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 13s. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Buffalo Bay Wildside. This spot is pretty exposed, so it sees a lot of that swell energy. It’s a tricky one, though – it’s inconsistent, so you’ve gotta be patient, but when it’s on, it can be a proper gem. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We kick things off on Monday, August 3rd. The morning is looking choice. You’ve got a clean 6ft swell rolling in from the ESE, with a nice 11-second period and glassy conditions. The combined energy is solid at (1255), so there’s plenty of push. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but it’s a bit much for beginners. The afternoon holds up well too, with clean 5ft surf and a light cross-off breeze, keeping the lines tidy.
Tuesday the 4th is a drop-off in quality. The morning sees a smaller 4ft SW swell, but it’s still clean thanks to a cross-off breeze. By the afternoon, the wind shifts onshore and it gets messy, so don’t expect much.
Wednesday the 5th is a weird one. There’s a super long-period, 16-second groundswell from the SSW, building to 7ft by the afternoon with massive energy (2143). That long period means the waves will have plenty of shape and power, but it’s blowing straight onshore, so it’s going to be a bumpy mess. The morning is a bit smaller at 5ft with offshore wind, but the period is still long, so it might be a bit straight for this beach break.
Thursday the 6th is a no-go. The swell jumps to 10ft with strong onshore winds. That’s expert territory, and with the wind, it’s a washing machine. The morning is actually too big for this break, so give it a miss.
The real standout comes on Friday, August 7th. This is your best bet. The morning starts with glassy conditions and a solid 8ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds. The energy is massive (2826), and the wind is dead calm. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is even better from a score perspective, with the same 8ft swell, a clean cross-off breeze, and wind kept clean. If you’re an experienced surfer, be on it. Crowds are possible here, so expect company.
Saturday the 8th is a mess again. The swell is still chunky at 8ft, but the wind is onshore and it’s getting choppy. Not worth it.
Sunday the 9th is a write-off. Heavy rain, strong cross-onshore winds, and a 10ft mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one.
The following week is a mixed bag. Monday the 10th offers clean, smaller 7ft surf from the SSE with a cross-off wind, but it’s a bit junky. Tuesday the 11th is a bright spot: a clean 6ft SSW groundswell with a 13-second period and offshore winds. That’s a very good session for the experienced crew.
Then we hit a big swell event from Wednesday the 12th through Saturday the 15th. Swells are consistently over 8ft, hitting 10ft, with very long periods (17-22 seconds) and massive energy levels (up to 4367). These are expert-only waves, but the wind is often light. The problem is the direction and the long period – for a beach break, those long-period SW swells can break a bit too straight and fast.
Sunday the 16th offers a nice reprieve. The swell drops to 6ft, the wind is glassy, and the energy is solid (1385). That’s a clean, fun morning for experienced surfers again.
The final days, Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th, are either too small and onshore, or back to 10ft and too big for the spot. Tuesday the 18th has clean conditions but it’s a beast.
So, to sum it up: Friday, August 7th is your standout. Get there for the glassy morning or the clean afternoon. Tuesday, August 11th and Sunday, August 16th are your other solid, clean options. The rest of the time is either too small, too windy, or too big for this break.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SW 12 | SW 11 | ESE 10 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
655 | 634 | 541 | 383 | 350 | 245 | 981 | 1884 | 2119 | 3357 | 2429 | 1721 | 2779 | 3009 | 3302 | 1991 | 1521 | 3325 | 2658 | 1789 | 1968 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | on | glassy | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:27PM1.70m | 6:39AM1.49m | 7:04PM1.62m | 7:21AM1.37m | 7:51PM1.50m | 8:19AM1.23m | 9:00PM1.37m | 9:56AM1.14m | 10:48PM1.31m | 12:01PM1.18m | 00:33AM1.38m | 1:23PM1.34m | 1:42AM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:08PM0.18m | 00:40AM0.29m | 12:42PM0.27m | 1:23AM0.37m | 1:24PM0.39m | 2:18AM0.48m | 2:22PM0.53m | 3:41AM0.58m | 3:58PM0.63m | 5:38AM0.57m | 6:03PM0.60m | 7:09AM0.44m | 7:29PM0.46m | ||||||||
7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 16 | 18 | 11 |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 30 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 |
655 | 634 | 541 | 356 | 349 | 245 | 981 | 1884 | 2119 | 3357 | 2429 | 1721 | 2779 | 3009 | 3302 | 1991 | 1521 | 3325 | 2658 | 1789 | 1968 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 16 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SE 6 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
600 | 488 | 528 | 383 | 350 | 220 | 250 | 245 | 154 | 115 | 87 | 635 | 47 | 46 | 28 | 11 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 31 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 13 | — | — | SSW 18 | SSW 15 | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | — | — | E 9 | — | — | E 11 | — | S 13 |
— | 3 | — | — | 30 | 86 | 138 | — | — | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | 9 | — | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 5 | — | — | S 7 | — |
— | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | 303 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 77 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 37 | 1 | 335 | 1045 | 356 |
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.











