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Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey), South Africa

Stay in Knysna: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Knysna

All 19 on Knysna's map

Watch this spot We email you when Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey) is worth the trip.

Knysna-topview
Knysna, the nearest town, 10 km away. Photo: .prometheus., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey)

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (203°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (23°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 39). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 16°C in July, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 21°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Knysna, 10 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 13 surf spots.

Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 30 h 45 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to GRJ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

    See flights MDW → GRJ · Skyscanner from about £780 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey).

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in KnysnaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Knysna · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Knysna · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey) on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct489 ft9 ssoft1,246kJ15°C
Mon 19Oct437 ft9 ssoft712kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct395 ft8 smushy317kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct329 ft9 ssoft1,058kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct239 ft8 smushy939kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct319 ft8 ssoft1,054kJ19°C
Sat 24Oct294 ft8 ssoft256kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct173 ft7 smushy74kJ20°C
Mon 26Oct275 ft6 smushy176kJ19°C
Tue 27Oct174 ft5 smushy90kJ20°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to GRJ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 15 by road. About 30h 45 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Noetsie (De Hoop Reserve)

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Yonders

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 8 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Buffalo Bay

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 9 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Buffalo Bay

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 9 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Lagoon Wedge

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to GRJ, changing at ATL and CPT, then 1h 15 by road. About 30h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 18 spots near Knysna each day: Buffalo Bay, Buffalo Bay beachbreak, Buffalo Bay (Bert rock), Buffalo Bay (Bowls), Buffalo Bay (Murpheys), Buffalo Bay (Opies), Buffalo Bay (Oyster Banks), Buffalo Bay (Reef), Buffalo Bay (Rock), Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey), Fish Boma, Lagoon Wedge, Noetsie (De Hoop Reserve), The Heads, The Heads (Back Reef), The Heads (Rock spot), Wild Side, Yonders.

The trip from Knysna, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,140–£2,240 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to GRJ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and CPT, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£780–£1,615
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,140–£2,240

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Knysna

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.