ISO 24444 / ISO 24443 EU COLIPA and SANS 1557 Verified Broadspectrum Sunscreens
Buffalo Bay Surf Report
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SURF RATING
GOOD
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
WAVE
1.6 m
SWELL
1.2m @ 9s
WIND
10 km/h Cross-shore
WATER
15.0°C
★★★★☆
Great conditions: chest-to-head-high waves on moderate-period swell, with a little cross-shore texture.
Swell: 1.2 m @ 9 s (SSW)
Wave height: 1.6 m
Wind: 10 km/h WNW Cross-shore
Sea temp: 15.0 °C · Wetsuit: 4/3 mm wetsuit + booties
Best window today: 06:00–08:00 (lightest wind)
🧬 Break DNA
50% match
Today: rideable but not classic
🌊 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
- Mid-period SSW swell at 9s is wrapping into the bank
- 9 km/h cross-shore wind gives some texture
- Not fully aligned today — pick your moment on the timeline above.
🏄 When to paddle out today
🏄 Reading today’s surf…
■ 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
☀️Midday:Warmer but often windier; moderate crowd
Crowd estimate is a comfort/timing proxy from conditions & day of week — not a live crowd count.
Swell & wind
■ swell in ■ wind (green=offshore/good) offshore zone
Spot match
5-day wave & wind forecast
■ wave height (m) ── wind (km/h, right)
7-Day Surf Forecast
| Day | Rating | Wave | Period | Swell | Midday wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 23 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 1.6 m | 8 s | SSW | 14 km/h Onshore |
| Thu 24 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.3 m | 7 s | S | 18 km/h Cross |
| Fri 25 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 2.3 m | 10 s | SSW | 16 km/h Cross |
| Sat 26 Sep | ★★★★☆ | 1.7 m | 9 s | SSW | 8 km/h Cross |
| Sun 27 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 2.5 m | 7 s | SSW | 14 km/h Onshore |
| Mon 28 Sep | ★★☆☆☆ | 2.3 m | 7 s | S | 12 km/h Onshore |
| Tue 29 Sep | ★★★☆☆ | 2.7 m | 7 s | SSE | 23 km/h Cross |
Daily peak wave height, mean swell period & direction, midday wind. Rating is our surf-quality score.
🌊 Today's tide (nearest station)
☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day
Sunrise 06:14 · Sunset 18:26 · 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, 23 Sep 2026 09:13 SAST.
Aerial map — 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.