Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf ahead for Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a mixed bag, but there are a couple of moments that’ll get the heart rate up if you time it right.

The opening days are a bit messy. Wednesday the 19th is pretty grim—some 8.2ft SW swell with a 12-second period, but the energy is all over the place and the conditions aren't coming together. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 20th sees a big pulse of swell pushing through—11.5ft at 13 seconds—but it’s just too much for this setup. It’s not going to be fun; it’s going to be survival. That’s one for the experts only, and even then, it might be more about getting out than getting waves.

Now, Friday the 21st is where things start to look up. The swell drops to a more manageable 6.9ft, still from the SW with a 12-second period. The wind is light and offshore, which is a massive plus—it should be clean and lined up. This is one of the best windows of the whole period. The energy is moderate at 1256, but the quality of the wave should be there for an experienced surfer.

Saturday the 22nd is a write-off. The wind swings onshore and picks up, and the swell gets short and crumbly. Poor conditions. Sunday the 23rd is interesting. Big swell again—9.8ft at 13 seconds in the morning—but it's glassy. That's a heavy combo, so again, only for the brave. The afternoon drops to 8.2ft with a 12-second period and stays glassy. That afternoon session looks much more doable and clean, with strong energy behind it at 2011.

Monday the 24th is a drop-off—smaller, shorter period, and the wind is on it. Just a so-so day.

But then we get to Tuesday the 25th. This is the standout of the whole run. 8.2ft of SW swell with a long 14-second period, light offshore wind, and clean conditions. The energy is solid at 2304. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The long period will really let the swell wrap in and set up nicely down the point. The morning is the pick.

The rest of the week is quieter. Wednesday the 26th has some nice clean shoulder-high waves—5.9ft at 13 seconds with glassy conditions in the morning. Good fun, but not as powerful as Tuesday. Thursday the 27th is average, and the surf dies down through Friday the 28th.

The weekend of the 29th and 30th sees another big swell pulse, with 11.5ft waves at 15 seconds on Saturday the 29th afternoon. That's a serious amount of water and way too big for this break, and the onshore wind will make it a mess. Sunday the 30th has 9.8ft swell but with strong cross-offshore winds, which will keep it clean but still too big and powerful for all but the top experts.

Things taper off into the first week of September. The first couple of days are messy with onshore wind. Then, Wednesday the 2nd of September has a clean afternoon predicted with 6.2ft of swell. And then, way out there on Thursday the 3rd of September, is a massive event—16.4ft of SW swell at 14 seconds. That’s just enormous, and it’s going to be way too big for this spot. It’ll be a spectacular sight, but you’d want a jet ski and a death wish.

So, the clear pick is the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August. Friday the 21st is also well worth your time. The Thursday afternoon on the 23rd is a backup. Otherwise, there are a few fun, smaller days in between, but nothing else is close to those standouts. Remember, this spot is inconsistent, and it doesn't break all that often, so when it does come alive, you need to be on it.

Stay frothy.

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