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Buffels Bay

Retreat, South Africa · Surf Forecast

Scored for
Board
Level
0
Now · Shortboard · Intermediate
Poor
Ankle high · Choppy · SSE
Wave
0.3m
Period
14.1s
Wind
22 km/h Cross
Tide
Low

Get an alert when Buffels Bay hits 7+

Set your board and level once and the app pings you the moment it's on.

Tide · today

Low · High in 4h00
0.4m14h15h17h19h21h

5-day forecast

Scored for Shortboard · Intermediate · times in Africa/Johannesburg local

Wednesday

7 Oct
14:00
0.2m
14.1s
23 km/h
Cross
15:00
0.2m
14s
22 km/h
Cross
18:00
0.3m
13.8s
22 km/h
Cross
21:00
0.3m
14.1s
22 km/h
Cross

Thursday

8 Oct
06:00
0.3m
14.2s
8 km/h
Offshore
09:00
0.3m
13.9s
13 km/h
Offshore
12:00
0.3m
13.7s
19 km/h
Offshore
15:00
0.3m
13.6s
25 km/h
Offshore
18:00
0.3m
13.5s
24 km/h
Offshore
21:00
0.3m
13.4s
22 km/h
Cross

Friday

9 Oct
06:00
0.3m
13s
24 km/h
Cross
09:00
0.3m
12.8s
22 km/h
Cross
12:00
0.2m
12.6s
19 km/h
Cross
15:00
0.2m
12.4s
18 km/h
Offshore
18:00
0.2m
12.2s
19 km/h
Cross
21:00
0.2m
11.9s
23 km/h
Cross

Saturday

10 Oct
06:00
0.2m
11.6s
28 km/h
Cross
09:00
0.2m
11.5s
22 km/h
Cross
12:00
0.3m
11.6s
20 km/h
Cross
15:00
0.3m
12.3s
20 km/h
Cross
18:00
0.3m
13.3s
17 km/h
Cross
21:00
0.3m
13s
15 km/h
Cross

Sunday

11 Oct
06:00
0.2m
12.4s
6 km/h
Cross
09:00
0.2m
12.3s
4 km/h
Cross
12:00
0.2m
12.1s
8 km/h
Cross
15:00
0.2m
12s
13 km/h
Cross
18:00
0.2m
11.8s
14 km/h
Cross
21:00
0.2m
11.7s
12 km/h
Cross

See all 10 days in the app

Days 6–10 for Buffels Bay, scored for your board.

About Buffels Bay

Buffels Bay is a point break over rock in Retreat, South Africa. It's at its best on swells from the SSE / S with light offshore winds from the SW / WSW / W, around mid to high tide. Every hour is scored for your board and skill level, so the rating reflects how it suits what you ride — not a one-size-fits-all star.

Break type
Point
Bottom
Rock
Best tide
mid,high
Best swell direction
SSE, S
Best wind direction
SW, WSW, W, WNW

Buffels Bay surf FAQ

Is Buffels Bay good for beginners?+

Buffels Bay is a point break over rock, and how suitable it is for beginners really depends on the size and power on the day — not a fixed label. The rock bottom rewards some confidence in the water and awareness of what's beneath you, especially as the size picks up. Set the level to Beginner above and WaveCheck flags the smaller, cleaner hours worth paddling out for.

What's the best board for Buffels Bay?+

Different days call for different boards. Buffels Bay handles a range of boards — a longboard or fish when it's small, a shortboard when there's more push. Tap through the boards above to see the live score for whatever you'll be riding.

What tide is best for surfing Buffels Bay?+

Buffels Bay tends to work best around mid to high tide. The tide chart above shows the current stage plus the next high and low, so you can time your session.

What are the best conditions for Buffels Bay?+

Look for from the SSE / S with light offshore winds from the SW / WSW / W. The 5-day forecast above scores every hour, so you can spot the window at a glance.

Nearby surf spots