Buffels Bay
Surf spot · South Africa
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 6 ft swell at 8 s, 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 352kJ
- Wind
- SSE 11 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 146kJ
- Wind
- S 6 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Thu 5 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 429kJ
- Wind
- WNW 20 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 414kJ
- Wind
- WNW 15 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Sat 7 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 scrumbling
- Energy
- 463kJ
- Wind
- SSW 12 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 612kJ
- Wind
- ESE 20 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Mon 9 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 51kJ
- Wind
- WSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 419, too small
- Thu 528, too small
- Fri 647, fair
- Sat 734, poor
- Sun 811, poor
- Mon 918, too small
- Tue 1022, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 17 °C3/2 wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
Buffels Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 5 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 369kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 15 knots | 17°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 5 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 352kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 11 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 146kJ | wind from the south, 6 knots | 20°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 28, too small | 5 ft10 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 429kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 20 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 47, fair | 6 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 414kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 34, poor | 6 ft8 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 463kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 11, poor | 6 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 612kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 20 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 18, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 51kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 22, too small | 4 ft11 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 392kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 13 knots, offshore | 18°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:48 −0.3 mHigh 09:15 +0.4 mLow 16:01 −0.4 mHigh 22:04 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:27 −0.4 mHigh 10:43 +0.5 mLow 17:25 −0.5 mHigh 23:28 +0.4 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:41 −0.4 mHigh 11:49 +0.5 mLow 18:24 −0.6 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Buffels Bay on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Buffels Bay
More surf near here
5 places
- Black Rocks 1.1 km away
- Platboom 2.3 km away
- Underwater Point 2.4 km away
- Olifants bos 9.4 km away
- Extensions 9.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Buffels Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (85°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (265°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 19°C in January, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Scarborough Western Cape. Within 5 km we also list 4 surf spots and 2 dive sites.
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. 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$1,300–US$2,540 each
about US$1,300–US$2,540 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 CPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$858–US$1,780 |
| 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$1,300–US$2,540 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 30 min by car · 19 places to stay
about US$60/nightcountry average
About Scarborough Western Cape its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Fish Hoek on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 60 places to stay
- Beds in Kommetjie on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 24 places to stay
Nearest beds: Scarborough Western Cape, 16 km (about 30 min by car)
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 26h 50m
About 26h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CPT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), then 1h by road
Flights MDW → CPT on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.