Mission Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on offer for Mission Beach.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell you, it's a tough stretch. The forecast is looking pretty bleak for the next few weeks. There's a decent pulse of swell coming in, but it's all wrapped up in marginal conditions. The first real chance to get wet is Wednesday afternoon, July 29th, but don't get your hopes up. We've got a solid 4ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, which has some real energy behind it (758). The wind is offshore from the west at 9 mph, which should keep the surface clean. But the forecast flags it as marginal, and honestly, the scores are low. It's one of those days where you might get a few, but you'll be working for them.

Thursday morning, July 30th, is a similar story. Another 4ft SW swell, slightly shorter at 15 seconds, with lighter offshore wind from the west at 6 mph. The wave energy is still high (760). It's still a marginal call, but that morning session might be the best of a bad bunch. The water temp is at 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 7° anomaly, so you can leave the 4/3 at home.

From Thursday afternoon onward, it starts to fade. The swell drops, and the wind shifts to a cross-onshore direction, chopping everything up. From July 31st all the way through to August 13th, the reports are filled with "poor surf conditions" and energy levels dropping from 642 all the way down to 128. It's a long, flat, and messy run. There are a few days with a long period swell (up to 19 seconds on August 7th), but the swell height is tiny (2ft-2ft) and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, so the wave quality is just not there.

The pick of the entire period, if you can call it that, is a toss-up between Wednesday afternoon, July 29th, and Thursday morning, July 30th. Both have the best combination of size, offshore wind, and that long-period groundswell energy. The 4ft to 4ft range is rideable for intermediates, but the long period (15-16 seconds) means those sets will be well-spaced. It's a breakwater setup, so it can handle the long period, but it's not going to be firing. For a spot that's "fairly consistent," this is a quiet spell.

Honestly, if you're looking for a proper session, you might want to wait. The pattern looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of this window. The forecast can always change, but for now, it's a waiting game.

Stay tuned.

Rusty.

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