Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Buffalo Bay Wildside over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, we’re looking at a bit of a wait. The first worthwhile surf doesn't kick in until Sunday morning, the 23rd of August. Before that, Friday and Saturday have swell, but the conditions are messy or too wind-affected to get excited about. So, there’s a quiet start.

The standout session in the first week is Sunday morning, the 23rd. We’ve got a solid 8 ft SW groundswell rolling in with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is dead glassy out of the south at just 3 mph. That combination means clean, well-shaped waves with plenty of energy. The only catch? Buffalo Bay Wildside is an exposed spot, and the swell direction of SW is a little off from the optimum SE, but the glassy conditions will still make for a fun session. It’s a good one for experienced surfers—this size is getting up there, so beginners might find it a handful.

Water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is a whopping 6°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’re definitely going to want a thicker wetsuit if you’re paddling out on the 23rd.

Tuesday the 25th is another true standout. Morning and afternoon both look excellent. You’ve got 8 ft of SW groundswell with a very long 14-second period, and light cross-offshore winds out of the SE and ESE. Clean faces, serious power, and long gaps between sets making paddling out easier. This is proper expert territory though—over 8 ft, long-period groundswell at a beach break can be heavy and might close out a bit if it’s too straight. Still, for the experienced crew, that Tuesday could be the best morning of the whole run.

Wednesday the 26th afternoon gets a mention, but it’s a word of caution: 10 ft of short-period ESE swell (only 7 seconds) with fresh cross-offshore winds. The size and wind are favorable, but that kind of period is messy and the combined energy is very strong. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, from the 27th through the 31st of August, we see a mix of smaller, cleaner swells in the 4 ft to 6 ft range, mostly S and S swell directions, with cross-offshore winds. Consistent clean waves, but nothing that hits the heights of Sunday or Tuesday. Good for logging some easy waves.

Then we hit September, and it gets wild. Wednesday the 2nd kicks off a run of huge, dangerous swell—10 ft to 20 ft SW groundswell with periods up to 16 seconds. The combined energy numbers are extreme. These swells are way too big for this break, and with onshore or cross-onshore winds, the conditions are poor. This run is strictly for experts, and even then, it’s more of a survival session or a skip. The setup is far more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

By Saturday the 5th of September, things settle back to the 4 ft to 6 ft range, with cleaner cross-offshore winds, but the outlook is marginal at best.

Overall, the pick of the forecast is Sunday morning the 23rd for clean, glassy waves, and Tuesday morning the 25th for powerful, long-period groundswell. The second week is mostly oversized and blown out, so keep your expectations tempered. As always, keep an eye on the sky—forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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