Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty bleak run for us at Mooloolaba. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t show up until Friday the 18th, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. Before that, we’ve got a few days of nothing but onshore junk or tiny dribble. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing weird there.

Let’s get into it. Wednesday the 16th is a write-off – strong cross-off winds around 19 mph making a mess of a weak 2ft swell. Thursday the 17th isn’t much better with a 6ft swell but it’s wind-affected and messy.

Friday the 18th morning is the first time you might paddle out. We’ve got a small 4ft swell from the ESE with a period of 7 seconds and a gentle breeze. The combined energy is weak (129). It’s ordinary, but you might get a few close-out waves if you’re desperate. Afternoon drops off with only 3ft and light cross-shore winds.

The weekend is flat as a tack. Saturday and Sunday see tiny 1ft to 3ft swells. Sunday morning the 20th is glassy, but there’s no energy (20). You’d be floating around with a camera, not a surfboard.

Monday the 21st through to the next weekend is a complete desert of onshore winds and tiny swell, often under 3ft. There’s a long gap of no real surf recommendations from Saturday the 19th all the way through to the following weekend.

Now, things start to show a pulse around Monday the 28th of September. We see a 6ft easterly swell rolling in with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 557 (moderate energy). Winds are light cross-onshore in the morning, so it’s not totally blown out. The swell size is getting up there – at 6ft, it’s a bit much for beginners, but strong intermediates could have some fun. It’s a beach and reef setup so the long-period 9-second swell should wrap in okay. Crowds are often here, so expect company. Tuesday the 29th holds similar size and energy (622) but with onshore wind, so it’ll be bumpy.

The best bet of the whole period looks like Wednesday the 30th of September into Thursday the 1st of October. On Thursday morning we get 4ft of east swell (9 seconds) with glassy conditions – light offshore from the ESE at just 3 mph. That’s clean, that’s your window. The energy is moderate (257), so it’s not a pumping day, but for a spot that’s been dead for a week and a half, it’s the standout. That’s the one to circle on your calendar.

For the rest of it, this setup with onshore winds and beach/reef exposure is honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing when the swell gets up around 5ft to 6ft and the wind is howling cross-on.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the forecasts for that last week of September. It’s been a dry spell, but it tends not to stay poor forever around here.

Rusty.

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