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Buffels Bay 87.5
#1091 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇿🇦 South Africa · Western Cape · near Cape Town
Works almost every day, no off season, real size comes through.
Works all yearBig waveAdvanced
Surf score87.5 /100
Surfable days94% of the year
Clean days30% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell63% period 11 s+
Typical size2.5 m 8.4 ft median
Water17°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf Buffels Bay
The best time to surf Buffels Bay is May, June, July. The season runs May to Aug. In May the water sits around 16°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 2.6 m. The nearest airport is CPT (41 km) and the nearest town is Cape Town (45 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 97% | 10% | 2.4 m | 19°C | 2mm |
| Feb | 100% | 14% | 2.3 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Mar | 99% | 26% | 2.3 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Apr | 99% | 25% | 2.5 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| May | 90% | 67% | 2.6 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 81% | 51% | 2.9 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 83% | 50% | 3.1 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 85% | 45% | 3.0 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 95% | 29% | 2.7 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 95% | 26% | 2.7 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 99% | 21% | 2.4 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 100% | 14% | 2.3 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
Why 87.5
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
18.0
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
8.0
Water comfort 10%
2.6
Access 10%
8.7
The detail
Faces 129° with 69% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 48% of days. Mean peak period 11.7 s. Days over 3 m: 27%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 0%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -34.324, 18.466 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Black Rocks🇿🇦 South Africa · score 87.9Dias Beach🇿🇦 South Africa · score 85.7Southwest Reef🇿🇦 South Africa · score 86.8Scarborough Point🇿🇦 South Africa · score 82.1
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