Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna give you the straight-up on what’s cooking for Buffalo Bay Wildside. It’s a bit of a wild ride over the next couple of weeks, with some massive swells and a few windows of clean perfection.

The overall pattern is simple: a lot of big, powerful SW groundswell, but the trick is nailing the wind. When the trade winds or local breezes cooperate, it’s on. When they don’t, it’s a washing machine. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first real action kicks off on Wednesday, September 2nd.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd, starts with a solid 10ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds. The combined energy is pumping at 2831, which is strong. The wind is a light SE cross, so it’s clean but the swell is already too big for most. This is for experienced surfers only. The water is a chilly 58°, which is about 5° colder than normal, so you’ll need a good wetsuit. By the afternoon, the wind shifts to a light ESE cross-off, the swell drops to 8ft, and it cleans up. The conditions are excellent for the crew that can handle it.

Thursday morning, September 3rd, is a write-off with moderate rain, onshore wind, and a messy 5ft SW swell. By the afternoon, it goes to hell: heavy rain, 25 mph SE cross-wind, and a short-period 10ft S windswell. That’s not surfable. The next few days, from Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th, are a mixed bag of marginal surf. Friday and Saturday see strong fresh breezes with 8ft to 8ft swell, but the period is short (8 seconds or less), so it’s mushy and messy.

Sunday, September 6th, is a standout. The morning offers a 8ft SSW groundswell with a very long 19-second period. The combined energy is a massive 4676. The wind is a clean 12 mph cross-off from the East. This is world-class potential, but that long period at a beach break setup can make it close out or shift around. The afternoon is even bigger, with 10ft SSW swell at 18 seconds and 6373 on the energy meter. Again, wind and tide are favorable, but the size is for experts only. If you’re a charger, this is your window.

Monday, September 7th, sees the swell dropping to 6ft, but the wind goes onshore, making it choppy and marginal. Tuesday the 8th is tiny with 3ft swell and light cross-shore winds. The middle of the week, September 9th and 10th, is small but promising. On Thursday, September 10th, we get a 5ft to 5ft SW groundswell with glassy conditions in the afternoon. The wind is light from the SSE, almost zero. That’s the kind of clean, small day you can get a log out for. The period is 12 seconds, so there’s some push.

The next real standout, far out in the forecast, is Sunday, September 13th. Another big pulse of SW groundswell, 10ft at 13 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is 6045. It’s massive, and it’s for the experienced crew only. Tuesday, September 15th, is more manageable with 6ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is light and variable.

The final highlight is Wednesday, September 16th. A 7ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is 3098. This is an excellent window for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines. The afternoon builds to 10ft, but it gets a bit onshore.

So, the best bet on offer? If you can handle the size, the morning of Sunday, September 6th, with that 8ft, 19-second groundswell and clean East cross-off wind is the pick of the first week. For the second week, the glassy morning of Wednesday, September 16th, with 7ft SSW groundswell is a solid call, but it’s a long way out so keep an eye on it.

The rest of the 16 days has a lot of marginal, blown-out, or simply too-big surf. We’re looking at about a 5-day gap from Thursday the 3rd through the 8th where it’s not really worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Rusty.

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