Buffalo Bay Wildside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Looks like we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things really start to fire up from Saturday afternoon, August 1st. The first few days are the standout window here, with some really clean, manageable swell rolling in. Saturday afternoon you’ve got a clean 7ft ESE swell, light cross-off breeze, and the water is sitting at a comfortable 63° – pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (873), and it’s setting up for some very good surf. Sunday morning is even better – glassy conditions, 6ft ESE swell, and that calm wind means the surface will be like a mirror. Sunday afternoon and Monday keep the quality high, with the swell dropping slightly to 5-6ft but the period stretching to 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy ticks up nicely (1255 on Monday morning), and the offshore or glassy winds mean these are the pick of the bunch. For any experienced surfer, this is a top notch run.

Now, Tuesday the 4th shifts direction to a SW swell, 4ft in the morning with a 12-second period and a light cross-off breeze – still very good. But Tuesday afternoon gets a bit iffy with a cross-on wind, and Wednesday the 5th sees the swell jump to 7ft but with onshore winds, making it a bit of a mess. Thursday the 6th through to the 8th, the swell really cranks up – 10ft to 12ft SW swells with periods of 13 seconds. That’s a lot of energy (over 4000 in some sessions), but it’s simply too big for this break. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the combined energy is strong to very strong. This is expert-only territory, and even then, the conditions are poor to marginal. Friday the 7th is still too big, and Saturday the 8th is a write-off with strong winds and rain.

We then hit a lull from the 9th through the 14th. Sunday the 9th has a brief window of glassy conditions in the afternoon with a 8ft SW swell, but it’s an isolated moment. The rest of that week is plagued by onshore winds, rain, and messy surf. The swell drops right down to 3ft or so, and the energy is weak to moderate. Not worth paddling out for.

But hold onto your board, because the real stunner is the second week. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are absolute magic. On Saturday morning, we’ve got a 6ft SW swell with a 17-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell, packing a punch (1789 energy). The wind is offshore from the NE, so the faces will be clean and lined up. That’s the kind of swell that will wrap beautifully along the point. Saturday afternoon keeps it clean with a cross-off breeze. Sunday the 16th is even bigger, with a 8ft SW swell, 15-second period, and light cross-off winds. The energy is strong (2769). This is a serious, expert-level swell, and it’s going to be a standout. Just be aware that with that long period, it’s going to be better on the reef than a beach break, and the sets will be spaced out, making the paddle out easier.

So to wrap it up: the best surf on offer is the first weekend (August 1-3) for the clean, manageable conditions, and then the final weekend (August 15-16) for the big, long-period groundswell with offshore winds. The middle of the period is a write-off. Stay patient, and you’ll be rewarded.

Stay wet,
Rusty

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