Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve had a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it’s a pretty bleak stretch for Mooloolaba. This is a beach and reef set-up that’s fairly exposed, but the swell window just isn’t lining up. The optimum direction is from the NE, but we’re seeing a lot of short-period, weak ESE and E energy for the most part. The water is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year—about 2° below average—so you’ll want a good spring suit.

There’s a long gap with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off: Monday the 17th through to the end of that week have small, weak, short-period swell with combined energy in the low to mid hundreds (391 to 155), and cross-off winds that just aren’t making it clean. The waves are there, but they’re poor quality and messy.

The only flicker of hope comes right at the tail end of the forecast. On Monday the 31st of August, the afternoon sees a sudden jump in swell—8 ft from the SE, but with a short period of only 7 seconds and combined energy hitting 629 (moderate to strong). That’s a lot of water moving, but short-period SE swell on a spot that likes NE is going to be a bit of a mess. It’s also going to be too big for beginners, and with cross-off winds at 20 km/h, it’s not going to be clean. This one is really only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s marginal.

The very best of a bad bunch? If I’m being honest, there isn’t a true standout. The only thing close is Wednesday the 19th of August, morning session. You’ve got 4 ft from the ENE, period of 7 seconds, combined energy 376, and a light SSE breeze at 10 km/h. The wind is cross-off, which keeps it clean, but the swell is small and weak. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

After that, it’s a slow fade into tiny, gutless surf. By the end of the first week of September, the swell drops to 1.0 ft to 2 ft with combined energy in the teens, and the wind is mostly cross-off or offshore. The morning of the 29th of August has a WSW wind at 25 km/h, which is offshore and clean, but the swell is only 1 ft. Not worth suiting up.

So, to sum it up: there’s very little surf on offer. The 16-day window is mostly flat or poor quality. The biggest pulse on the 31st of August is short-period and messy, and only for experts. If you’re desperate, the 19th of August morning is your best bet, but keep expectations low. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long wait.

Rusty

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