Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the full rundown on what’s coming up for Buffalo Bay Wildside. This is a wild stretch of coast, and it’s about to get real interesting. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no drama there.

The run starts on Friday morning, July 17, with some really nice conditions. We’ve got a solid 8ft SW swell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the WSW at 3 mph. There’s a lot of energy in the water (1503), and it’s lining up perfectly for experienced surfers. The morning is your best bet – clean, powerful, and just a bit of a handful. The afternoon stays glassy as the wind drops to zero, but the swell eases to 7ft. Still a great session.

Saturday the 18th is a step down. The morning is cloudy with a light cross-on breeze, dropping the swell to 4ft. It’s marginal, and the tide might be a factor. The afternoon picks up a tiny bit to 5ft, with a clean onshore wind, but it’s still not firing on all cylinders.

Sunday the 19th gets messy. The morning has a 6ft SW swell, but a 9 mph cross-on wind kills the quality. By the afternoon, the wind jumps to 16 mph out of the WSW, the swell is 7ft, but it’s choppy and ugly. Not worth paddling out.

Now, Monday the 20th is a beauty. The morning is glassy with an ESE wind at 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 6ft from the SW. The energy is strong (1055), and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze and 5ft swell. This is a standout – the combo of glass and good swell makes it a top pick.

Tuesday the 21st is another cracker. The morning is glassy again with a 3ft SSW groundswell at a 14-second period. The energy is solid (825), and the wind is so light it’s almost still. The afternoon ramps up to 6ft with a 13-second period and a clean cross-off breeze. The water is going to be smooth and the waves will have long, clean lines. This is the best on offer in the first week.

The middle of the week gets heavy. Wednesday the 22nd morning is a washout – 8ft SW swell with a 12 mph cross-on wind. The afternoon sees a massive 10ft SW swell, but it’s too big for this break. Thursday the 23rd morning is glassy but the 10ft swell is still too much. The afternoon drops to 8ft with glassy conditions, and that’s excellent for experienced surfers. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are the same story – massive 12ft to 13ft swells with very long periods (16 seconds). The wind is clean, but it’s just too big. This is only for the brave or the kites. The setup is a beach-and-reef spot, so with that much power and size, a kite surfer would have a field day.

Sunday the 26th is back to a more manageable 6ft SW swell in the morning, but the wind is cross-shore, making it a bit bumpy. The afternoon goes huge again at 13ft, so morning is your only window that day.

The last week of July and into August has some real gems. Monday the 27th has 13ft S swell with a clean offshore breeze, but it’s too big. Tuesday the 28th is a cracker – 8ft SE swell with glassy conditions in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon. The energy is strong (2293) and the wind is light. Wednesday the 29th is clean again with a 7ft ESE swell and a cross-off breeze. These couple of days are the standout for the second week.

Thursday the 30th is smaller, with a 5ft ESE swell and a cross-shore wind, but the afternoon is glassy with 4ft. Then Friday the 31st is a ripper – 8ft SSW swell with glassy conditions in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon. The energy is pumping (1499). Saturday August 1st finishes strong with a clean 4ft SE swell in the morning and a 5ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period in the afternoon. The water will be clean and the waves will have long, powerful lines.

Overall, if you’re an experienced surfer, the absolute best windows are the morning of Monday July 20, all of Tuesday July 21, and the morning of Tuesday July 28. The crowds here can show up sometimes, so keep an eye out. The break is inconsistent, but when it’s on, it’s worth the wait.

Rusty.

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