Mission Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next 16 days for Mission Beach. I’ll be honest, the surf outlook is pretty weak overall. The wind is never really our friend, staying cross-on or onshore for most of the run, so it’s going to be choppy and bumpy more often than not.

The first chance to get wet is Friday, July 24th. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the southwest with a very long period of 24 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but that long period at a breakwater like Mission Beach means the waves might be a bit straight and hard to line up. The wind is a cross-on 12 mph, so it’s not going to be clean. The combined energy is moderate (936) but the quality is just “marginal.” It’s not a great start.

Saturday and Sunday the 25th and 26th are more of the same. Swell is 3ft to 3ft, still from the southwest, with a period dropping from 21 to 18 seconds. The wind is light, but still cross-on or cross-shore. It’s not terrible, but it’s not clean. It’s a longboard session at best.

Things pick up a little in size from Monday the 27th through to Thursday the 30th. We see swell heights hitting 4ft to 5ft, and the energy climbs into the strong range (1052 to 1117). The period drops to between 15 and 18 seconds, which is still a solid groundswell. But the wind stays stubbornly cross-on or cross-shore at 9 to 12 mph. The wave comment still says “marginal.” It’s going to be a bit of a battle with the chop.

The best window of the whole outlook, and it’s the only one that really stands out, is Thursday afternoon the 30th of July. The swell hits 5ft from the south-southwest with a 15-second period, and the energy is strong (1117). The wind is a light cross-on at 6 mph, which is the best we’ll see all week. It’s still not perfect, but it’s the cleanest, most powerful option on offer. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

From Friday the 31st through the weekend, the swell gets a bit bigger – 5ft to 6ft – but the period shortens to 13-14 seconds, and the wind turns onshore from the west. That’s a recipe for a bumpy, blown-out mess. The energy is still strong (1205 on Friday afternoon), but it’s not going to be surfable in any decent way.

Then, from August 2nd onward, it all fades out. The swell drops to 3ft and then to 1ft, the period collapses, and the energy plummets to weak levels (118). The wave comments turn to “poor surf conditions.” There’s a big gap of several days with no real surf on offer after the first week.

Honestly, the standout is Thursday afternoon the 30th of July. It’s the only time the mix of size, energy, and the lightest wind comes together. The rest is a long, choppy grind. For beginners, the 5ft swell on that day might be a bit much.

Rusty.

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