Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Alright, let’s be real. The next couple weeks at Mooloolaba are looking pretty bleak for anyone wanting a decent wave. We’ve got a long stretch of small, messy, and just plain poor surf ahead. It’s going to be a good ten days or more of disappointment. There’s a midweek bump in size, but it’s all short-period, wind-blown slop—more of a fight than a fun session. The forecast isn’t great, but it can change, so don’t sell your boards yet. But for now, this is a longboard or a kite situation.

Friday, August 14th starts things off with clean but tiny 1ft surf from the east. The water is 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for the time of year—about a degree and a half off, so you might want a spring suit. The wave energy is weak (31), and a moderate cross-offshore SE breeze has the surface glassy, but there’s nothing to push you down the line.

Saturday (15th) and Sunday (16th) aren’t any better. Saturday has 1ft of east slop, clean but useless. Sunday sees the size jump to 5-6ft, but the period drops to a shocking 6-7 seconds from the SE. That’s just wind chop, not surf. The energy is moderate (197-330), but it’s all mush. The moderate cross-offshore wind keeps it clean on the surface, but it’s a bumpy, powerless mess underneath.

Monday (17th) brings the biggest swell of the week, with 7-7ft from the ESE. But with a 7-second period, this is just blown-out, stormy junk. The energy is strong (466-531), but it’s crossed up and onshore enough to put it firmly in the “experts only” category. Rain showers and a moderate cross-shore wind will have it chopped and messy. This is more attractive to the kite crew than the paddle crew, to be honest.

We get a slight reprieve from the big slop on Tuesday (18th) as the swell settles to a cleaner 7ft, but the period is still only 8 seconds. It’s considered marginal—questionable tide conditions—so pick your spots if you’re keen. On Wednesday (19th), the swell drops to 5ft and things get slightly more interesting. The afternoon sees the period lengthen to 11 seconds with a light SE breeze. This is the standout of the near-term forecast. It’s not going to be epic, but the water will be glassier, and the energy is moderate (349). Expect clean, slow lines, not barrels.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Thursday (20th) has 4-4ft of ENE slop with a 7-second period—ordinary at best. The rest of the week and into next week is bleak. Friday the 21st through Saturday the 22nd fades to under 3ft with onshore winds, and we’re looking at mostly poor and unrideable conditions in the 1ft-3ft range.

From Sunday the 23rd all the way through to Saturday the 29th, the surf stays tiny, in the 1ft-3ft range. The wind is mostly cross-offshore from the SE, but it’s fresh, blowing 16-19 mph. There is one moment on Friday the 28th where the period jumps to 12 seconds, but it’s only 1ft of swell—just a tease of clean lines with no power. The wave energy drops right off to that weak category for most of the run. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

So, for the true standout? Wednesday afternoon is the only window where it might not be a complete waste of time, and even that’s a stretch. The rest is a write-off. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, the board stays in the shed.

Rusty.

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