Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk Mooloolaba. It’s a beach and reef break, exposed to the swell but it’s inconsistent, and you can expect crowds from time to time. The water’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 68°F, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

The first week is a rough one. From the 26th of July through the end of the month, we’ve got a run of poor surf. The swell is tiny – 1ft to 3ft at best – with short-period windswell, and the wind is mostly cross-off or cross. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 29th of July when it goes glassy, with a 3ft easterly windswell, but the energy is weak and the period is only 6 seconds – it’s a nothing session.

Finally, the first stand-out shows up on the morning of Monday the 3rd of August. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the SE, with a 12-second period, and a light offshore wind from the south. The combined energy hits 334 (moderate). That’s the one to aim for – a proper groundswell with clean offshore conditions. The 12-second period means better-shaped waves and longer gaps between sets, so paddling out will be easier. It’s the best bet in the whole 16-day window.

The morning of the 4th of August is glassy again, with a 2ft ESE swell and a 12-second period, but the energy is lower (186) – clean but tiny. The 10th of August morning sees a jump in energy (383) with a 3ft ESE swell and an 11-second period, but the wind is cross, so it’s messy. The afternoon of the 10th of August gets a bigger 7ft ESE swell with a 12-second period and massive energy (1164), but it’s rated marginal. That’s a big swell – over 5ft – so it’s for experts only, and with a cross-off wind it’s clean but the quality is questionable. For a beach and reef setup, that size might be better for kite surfers than a paddle.

Bottom line: the first week is a write-off. The best chance is the morning of the 3rd of August. After that, there are a few small windows but nothing to get excited about. Keep checking the charts.

Rusty.

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