Buffalo Bay (Oyster Banks)
Surf spot · South Africa
Is it worth the trip?
11Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9, usually: typical for the time of year: good on 1% of days
Tue 3 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 11 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Mon 9 · 13 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Apr–Jul1 good days in 7
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3to 8usually | 7 ft9 s | 701kJ | SE | 20°C |
| Mon 9usually | 6 ft9 s | 573kJ | SE | 20°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Best time to go
best Apr–Jul
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Buffalo Bay (Oyster Banks) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says. Days past the forecast count as they usually are.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Wild Side 0.9 km away
- Buffalo Bay (Bert rock) 1 km away
- Buffalo Bay (Wildside Shorey) 1 km away
- Fish Boma 1 km away
- Buffalo Bay (Reef) 1.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Buffalo Bay (Oyster Banks)
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (209°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (29°). 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 gently: 10 m deep about 750 m out (1 in 75). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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, 9.9 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 13 surf spots.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,320–US$2,590 each
about US$1,320–US$2,590 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to PBZ, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and CPT, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$878–US$1,820 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$67–US$114 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$161–US$275 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$147–US$268 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$67–US$107 |
| Total | about US$1,320–US$2,590 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 15 min by car · 25 places to stay
about US$60/nightcountry average
About Brenton on Sea its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Knysna on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 131 places to stay
- Beds in Sedgefield on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 40 places to stay
About US$60 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 30h 25m
About 30h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → PBZ, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT), then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → PBZ on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.