Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve got the long-range picture for our stretch of coast. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a run of solid, rideable swell coming through, but it’s not all plain sailing. The opening days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a real standout window mid-period that you’ll want to clear your schedule for. After that, we’ll see things ease off before another pulse of energy arrives later on.

First up, we’re looking at Tuesday afternoon. There’s some swell on the way, around 5.6ft from the SSW, with a 12-second period. The energy is strong, we're talking 1634. The wind is a cross-offshore from the east at 19 mph, which keeps things clean, but the water temp is sitting at 61.5°, which is about average for this time of year. It's a bit of a so-so session, really – the surf’s there but the quality is questionable, maybe some tide issues. Not the best way to kick things off.

Wednesday sees a similar story. The swell holds around 4.9ft to 5.6ft from the SSW, but the period jumps right up to 20 seconds in the morning. That’s some serious groundswell energy, with readings around 2553. Even with that long period, it’s still a bit marginal. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so it’s not bad, but we’re still waiting for things to really click. The afternoon brings a bit more size at 5.6ft, but the period drops a touch to 18 seconds.

Now, here’s the window that gets me excited. Thursday morning, the 13th of August, at Buffalo Bay Wildside is shaping up to be a standout. We’ve got a clean 4.9ft SSW groundswell with a solid 19-second period, and the winds are true offshore from the NE at 12 mph. This is the first time we get a proper offshore wind, and that’s going to make all the difference. The energy is pumping at 3378, and everything looks excellent for experienced surfers. This is your morning. Thursday afternoon, it gets a touch bigger at 6.2ft from the SW, but the wind backs off to a cross-offshore, and the magic is a little lost.

Friday continues with clean conditions but the swell starts to ease. Morning has 4.6ft from the SW with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 16-second period. Afternoon drops a bit further to 4.3ft, but the wind goes offshore and glassy with only 3 mph. It’s still good fun if you’ve got a shortboard, but it’s not the power of Thursday.

The weekend is a bit of a letdown. Saturday sees the swell drop to around 3.6ft, and the wind swings cross-onshore. It’s small and a bit messy. Sunday is even smaller, down to 3.0ft, with a cross-onshore wind making it choppy. This run of small surf will last a few days, so don’t get your hopes up for the weekend.

Then, out of nowhere, Monday the 17th delivers a sneaky good morning. The swell jumps back up to 6.2ft from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wind is dead glassy. That’s a clean, punchy left-hander if you can find it. Definitely worth a paddle if you can get out there before the afternoon winds pick up.

Tuesday the 18th is a write-off. The wind turns onshore and choppy, and there’s even some light rain. Surf quality is poor, so you’re better off doing something else.

Now, here’s the big one for the second week. Wednesday, the 19th of August, brings a solid pulse of SW swell. The morning is looking at a chunky 9.8ft at 11 seconds with light cross-offshore winds. But here’s the catch – that size is going to be too much for this break. It’s going to be a washing machine. If you’re an expert, maybe, but it’s really pushing it. The afternoon eases to a more manageable 7.9ft with the same swell direction, and that could be a proper session for experienced surfers.

After that, things settle into a more consistent, but less dramatic pattern. Thursday the 20th has clean 5.9ft surf in the morning with glassy conditions, and Friday sees a new easterly swell mix, but the winds turn onshore and it gets a bit messy. The following weekend looks mediocre with onshore winds and rain, so keep the board in the car.

Looking further out, the last couple of days of the window, the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of August, show another solid run of SW swell, with heights consistently in the 5.6ft to 7.2ft range. The winds look to be cross-offshore and clean, with some solid energy readings. It’s a promising end to the forecast, but remember, that’s a long way off, so treat it with a bit of caution.

All in all, the

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