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Buffalo Bay Surf Report

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SURF RATING
GOOD
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.
WAVE
1.5 m
SWELL
1.0m @ 9s
WIND
11 km/h Offshore
WATER
14.4°C

★★★★☆

Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, groomed clean by light offshore wind.

Swell: 1.0 m @ 9 s (SW)

Wave height: 1.5 m

Wind: 11 km/h NNW Offshore

Sea temp: 14.4 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties

Best window today: 09:00–11:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
72% match
Today: a solid, fun day
🌊 Wave type
Beach & point
🧭 Best swell
S groundswell, 11–16s
💨 Best wind
N offshore
🏄 Board
Shortboard
📈 Skill
Intermediate–advanced
Ideal wind & swell are derived from the way this coast faces; break type is local knowledge. Match blends today’s swell angle, wind & period.

🌊 Why it’s reading like this right now

Offshore windwave direction
  • Mid-period SW swell at 9s is wrapping into the bank
  • 11 km/h offshore wind is grooming it clean
  • Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
Buffalo Bay surf mission card
Save or screenshot, then send it to your crew on WhatsApp.

🏄 When to paddle out today

🏄 Reading today’s surf…
00:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.6m chest-head · 9km/h Cross01:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore02:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore03:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.5m chest-head · 11km/h Offshore04:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 9km/h Offshore05:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.5m waist-chest · 6km/h Offshore06:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Offshore07:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 8km/h Offshore08:00 — Epic (★★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 7km/h Offshore09:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 3km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.4m waist-chest · 5km/h Onshore11:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 6km/h Onshore12:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 5km/h Onshore13:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 7km/h Onshore14:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 11km/h Onshore15:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 6km/h Onshore16:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 5km/h Onshore17:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 8km/h Onshore18:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 5km/h Cross19:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 7km/h Cross20:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 10km/h Cross21:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 11km/h Cross22:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 12km/h Cross23:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 1.3m waist-chest · 12km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
epic   clean   fun   marginal   flat   dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
🧢 Bring
Boots & hood
🌅Dawn window:Best quality, coolest — usually the quietest crowd
Crowd estimate is a comfort/timing proxy from conditions & day of week — not a live crowd count.
Swell & wind
NESW
swell in   wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
ThuFriSatSunMon0.0m1.9m3.7m01223now
wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Wed 9 Sep ★★★☆☆ 1.4 m 9 s SSW 5 km/h Onshore
Thu 10 Sep ★★★★☆ 2.1 m 10 s SSW 14 km/h Cross
Fri 11 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.1 m 9 s SSW 14 km/h Onshore
Sat 12 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 2.9 m 7 s SE 6 km/h Onshore
Sun 13 Sep ★★★☆☆ 3.7 m 8 s SSE 20 km/h Cross
Mon 14 Sep ★★★☆☆ 2.8 m 7 s ESE 5 km/h Cross
Tue 15 Sep ★★☆☆☆ 1.7 m 8 s ESE 9 km/h Onshore

Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.

🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)

00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00H 02:46L 08:51H 15:09L 21:13now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 06:34 · Sunset 18:16 · Peak UV 6

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 50, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 50 sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Wed, 09 Sep 2026 03:13 SAST.

Aerial map — Buffalo Bay

Crayonised aerial map of Buffalo Bay
Beach break
The point
PeakTake-off / peak

Hand-styled from NGI 0.25 m national aerial. Markers show the peak, channel & hazards — indicative local knowledge, not live conditions or navigation advice; tides, banks, rips & hazards change, so use your own eyes on the day.

About Buffalo Bay — Surf Local Knowledge

Buffalo Bay (Buffels Bay) is a small seaside village on the Goukamma coast between Sedgefield and Knysna, with a long sheltered main beach on one side and a rocky, exposed shore known as the Wildside on the other.

The main draw is a right-hand point break, Murpheys, that peels off the headland, plus beach-break peaks and a gentle reef right near the breakwater that makes a good learner wave. It works best on a south-east swell with offshore westerly winds; the point suits intermediate and advanced surfers while the protected beach is friendly for beginners. It is often small, so it can be quiet, but watch for rocks off the point and note that the Goukamma Marine Protected Area covers this stretch.

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