Noosa - Johnsons Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Right off the bat, the next week and a half is going to be a bit of a struggle at Johnsons. There’s a real flat spell on the cards, but hold on—there’s a proper pulse of energy lining up for later that makes the wait worthwhile.

The next few days are all about small, weak surf. The combined energy is down in the low to mid hundreds (236, 216, 146), with waves around the 3ft to 5ft and a short, crumbly 6-7 second period. It’s not going to offer much, and with the wind mostly cross-off from the southeast, it’ll look cleaner than it is, but the punch just isn’t there. By Monday the 14th, the swell drops to 3ft and the energy fades to 91 – it’s barely a ripple.

Tuesday the 15th is dead flat. The swell is down to 3ft, period still 6 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 59. There’s a bit of glass early, but it’s not enough to be worth a paddle. If you’re just hanging out, you might as well stay home.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 17th brings in a new groundswell. The swell jumps to 7ft in the morning, building to 8ft by the afternoon, with the period at 8-10 seconds. The combined energy surges to 867 – that’s solid, and it's straight out of the southeast. There’s a fresh offshore breeze, so it’ll be bumpy but clean. This is a step up, but at 8ft, this is definitely expert territory. Friday the 18th is the real standout I want to talk about. The swell holds at 8ft with a 10-second period, and by the afternoon the energy jumps to 1314, with a light east-southeast cross-off breeze. This is the one – the point will be linking up, and it’ll hold size all day.

Saturday the 19th is the other gem. Early morning is glassy with a 7ft southeast swell and a 12-second groundswell period. Combined energy is 1180. This is prime Johnsons. The long period will make it line up beautifully on the point. The only downside is the afternoon goes a bit cross-on, but the morning session is worth getting up for.

After that, it’s all downhill again. Sunday the 20th sees the swell drop back to 4ft, the energy falls away, and by Monday the 21st it’s back to 3ft. The rest of the week looks weak and mostly poor. There’s a hint of life on Wednesday the 23rd, with a 3ft SE swell and some energy (138), but it’s not going to get you excited. The following weekend, the 26th and 27th, stays small and pretty average, with nothing over 3ft.

So, the play here is clear: it’s going to be a flat, frustrating first half of the week. The standouts are Friday afternoon, September 18th, and Saturday morning, September 19th. That’s when the real swell hits, the winds are right, and the point will be doing its best work. For the rest, keep your expectations low.

A quick note on the water: it’s sitting at 70°, which is just about normal for this time of year. Not a drama.

This isn't a beginner's stretch at all. When the big swell hits at 8ft, it’s only for the experienced crew. The shorter period swells earlier in the week won't have any push to them.

That's the rundown. Hang in there, the weekend’s looking like a ripper.

Rusty

Read more