Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the table.

First up, the water is sitting at 63° right now, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real chance for a wave comes on Tuesday afternoon at Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s not huge, around 4ft of swell from the SW, but the wind goes glassy. That’s the kind of session where you’re just trading clean little runners with no one else around. It’s an inconsistent spot, so you gotta be patient, but when a set comes through, it’ll be worth it.

Wednesday looks like the swell is starting to build, but the wind is cross-on both days, which will put a bit of a crumble on the face. By Thursday morning, the swell jumps to 10ft (combined energy of 3445), and that’s already pushing past the comfort zone for this break. It’s too big for most of us. The wind is light but cross-on, so it’s going to be a messy, washing-machine kind of day.

For Friday, August 7th, we’ve got a standout. The swell drops back to a still solid 8ft from the SW, but the wind goes dead calm – glassy all day. The period stretches out to 14-15 seconds, which is proper groundswell. This is a big, powerful wave for experienced surfers only. Over 8ft means it’s in expert territory. The break is inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for those long-period sets, but when they come, they’ll have some serious push. This is the best on offer in the first week.

Saturday the 8th sees the wind pick up, with a gentle cross-on breeze making things choppy. It’s still surfable, but not as clean. Sunday is a write-off – strong onshore winds and rain make for awful conditions. Monday the 10th is glassy again, but the swell is pumping at 13ft, and that’s just too much for this spot. It’s more of a spectator sport.

Now we get into the second week, and things get interesting. Wednesday, August 12th is the absolute highlight of the whole outlook. We’ve got an 8ft swell from the ESE with a 13-second period, combined energy hitting a massive 6210. The wind is light and cross-off, keeping the faces clean. This is a proper, powerful groundswell, and with that ESE direction lining up well with this spot, it’s going to be firing. This is for expert surfers only – the size and power will be legit.

Thursday the 13th stays big and clean, but the swell pushes to 10ft again. Still glassy early, but it’s big. Then Friday the 14th morning offers a more manageable 7ft from the ESE with clean cross-off winds – another good session for experienced crew.

After that, the swell fades. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the size drop to 4ft and then 3ft. The wind is clean, so you could get a little longboard or funboard glide, but there’s not much push. By Monday the 17th, a new 10ft SW swell rolls in, but with onshore wind and rain, it’s not going to be pretty.

Finally, Wednesday, August 19th caps it off nicely. The swell holds at 7ft to 8ft from the SW, and the wind goes glassy again. It’s clean, it’s powerful, and it’s a good one for experienced surfers.

So, to sum it up: the standout, the must-surf day, is Wednesday, August 12th for the big, clean ESE groundswell. Friday, August 7th is also a cracker for a glassy SW groundswell. The rest is a mix of too big, too messy, or too small. Crowds are possible at Buffalo Bay Wildside, but with its inconsistency, you’ll likely have plenty of space if you’re willing to wait.

Rusty.

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