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Buffalo Bay Surf Report

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SURF RATING
POOR
★★☆☆☆
Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.
WAVE
1.8 m
SWELL
1.7m @ 8s
WIND
10 km/h Onshore
WATER
17.4°C

★★☆☆☆

Marginal: chest-to-head-high waves on short, wind-driven swell, though onshore wind is adding chop.

Swell: 1.7 m @ 8 s (SSW)

Wave height: 1.8 m

Wind: 10 km/h SSW Onshore

Sea temp: 17.4 °C · Wetsuit: 3/2 mm full wetsuit

Best window today: 11:00–13:00 (lightest wind)

🧬 Break DNA
36% 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

Onshore windwave direction
  • Short, wind-driven SSW swell at 8s is wrapping into the bank
  • 9 km/h onshore wind is adding chop
  • 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 (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore01:00 — Clean (★★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 10km/h Offshore02:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Cross03:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Cross04:00 — Fun (★★★) · 2.0m chest-head · 12km/h Cross05:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 12km/h Cross06:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 11km/h Cross07:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.9m chest-head · 12km/h Cross08:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 12km/h Cross09:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 11km/h Cross10:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Cross11:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 8km/h Onshore12:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Onshore13:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 15km/h Onshore14:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 13km/h Onshore15:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 12km/h Onshore16:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Onshore17:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 13km/h Onshore18:00 — Marginal (★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 14km/h Onshore19:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 12km/h Cross20:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Cross21:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 10km/h Cross22:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.8m chest-head · 9km/h Cross23:00 — Fun (★★★) · 1.7m chest-head · 11km/h Crossnow00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
■ epic   ■ clean   ■ fun   ■ marginal   ■ flat   ■ dawn/dusk · tap an hour

🎒 Pack for this session

🏄 Board
Shortboard
🤿 Wetsuit
3/2 mm full wetsuit
🧴 Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
☀️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
NESW
■ swell in   ■ wind (green=offshore/good)   offshore zone
Spot match
Swell anglePeriodSizeWindSea state
5-day wave & wind forecast
WedThuFriSatSun0.0m1.4m2.8m0919now
■ wave height (m)   ── wind (km/h, right)

7-Day Surf Forecast

DayRatingWavePeriodSwellMidday wind
Tue 13 Oct ★★☆☆☆ 1.9 m 8 s SSW 10 km/h Onshore
Wed 14 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.1 m 8 s SSW 13 km/h Cross
Thu 15 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.8 m 10 s SW 16 km/h Onshore
Fri 16 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.3 m 9 s SSW 10 km/h Onshore
Sat 17 Oct ★★★☆☆ 2.6 m 8 s SW 14 km/h Onshore
Sun 18 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.4 m 9 s SW 8 km/h Cross
Mon 19 Oct ★★★★☆ 2.3 m 9 s SW 13 km/h Cross

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 05:06L 10:50H 17:17L 23:18now

☀️ Sun & skin — out on the water all day

Sunrise 05:47 · Sunset 18:41 · Peak UV 3

Surfers & anglers get the highest UV dose of anyone. Recommended: SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every session.

Shop SPF 30+ sunscreen →

Surf/wave: Open-Meteo Marine. Sun/UV/pressure: Open-Meteo. Tides: Stormglass model. Solunar is an approximate guide. Generated Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:13 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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