Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the surf ahead. It’s a bit of a slow burn to start, but there are some serious windows of quality coming up for Buffalo Bay Wildside. The water is running real cold, 57°, which is more than three degrees below normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the thickest rubber you own. That’s a big deal right out of the gate.

The first couple of days are on the smaller side, nothing to get too excited about. Saturday the 15th has some clean waves in the morning, about 4ft from the southwest, but with a light cross-shore wind it’s not going to be perfect. The afternoon cleans up a touch, around 3ft and the conditions look better. Sunday the 16th is similar, with the morning getting chopped up by a cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon turns glassy with 4ft of swell. You’ll get some fun ones, but it’s not the main event. The swell energy is moderate during this stretch, with readings like 609 and 744.

Now, here’s where things start to get interesting. Monday the 17th, the swell pushes up to 7ft and the energy jumps into strong territory at 1702. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze, which is going to make for some proper, powerful surf. This is the first real standout. Tuesday the 18th keeps the size at 7ft with glassy conditions in the morning, and the energy stays strong at 1392. Wednesday the 19th is another gem. We’re looking at 8ft waves, glassy conditions all day, and the energy numbers are up there at 1768 for the morning. This is peak quality for the first week, a solid run of days.

Thursday the 20th follows suit with another clean afternoon, 8ft and glassy, with the energy at 1774. Friday the 21st is also looking great, especially the afternoon when the wind drops to nothing and it’s dead glassy with 7ft from the south-southwest. This is a fantastic stretch of swell, with clean conditions and strong energy. Just remember, this spot is inconsistent, so you gotta be on it when it turns on.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd gets a bit messier. Winds turn cross-onshore and the surf quality drops. The swell is still there, around 6ft to 8ft, but the conditions aren't as clean. The energy is still strong, but you’ll be fighting a bit of chop. It’s not a complete write-off, but the earlier days are the ones to chase.

Now, looking ahead to the 24th, this is the big one. Monday the 24th sees a serious pulse of groundswell, with a 10ft swell and a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy reading is massive at 4108. The wind and tide look favorable, but this is forecast to be too big for this break. If you're an expert, this could be a once-in-a-blue-moon session, but for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the shore. The period is so long that it might be breaking a bit too straight, but for a setup like this, it could be something special. The afternoon settles to a more manageable 8ft with a 14-second period, which is still huge, but a bit more in the realm of possibility for experienced surfers.

After that, Tuesday the 25th is still good, with 6ft and glassy conditions in the morning. The energy is still strong. Wednesday the 26th, however, the wind turns onshore and things get messy. That big, long-period swell is still in the water, but the cross-onshore wind is going to chop it up. It’ll be a battle.

The last few days of the month fade out. The swell drops and the wind stays mostly onshore, making for poor to marginal conditions. There are still some waves in the 5ft to 7ft range, but you’ll be working for them in less-than-ideal conditions.

So, to sum it up: The standout days are Monday the 17th through Friday the 21st. That’s your window for clean, powerful surf. And the absolute biggest, most promising, but also the most intimidating swell is on the 24th. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but if it delivers, it could be an all-time session for the experts.

Alright, that’s the picture from here. Stay warm.

Rusty.

Read more