Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a pretty quiet stretch ahead for Mooloolaba. Let’s see what’s on the menu.

Overall, the pattern is lackluster. There’s no real push of decent swell for the first week and a half. The water is sitting at 20°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – nothing wild, but you’ll notice it if you’re used to the usual winter temps.

We’ve got a few days of small, short-period windswell from the east-northeast and east-southeast from Thursday 30 July right through to Sunday 2 August. Sizes are tiny, between 2ft and 5ft, but the wind is cross-off or cross-offshore most of the time. The problem is, the wave quality is poor across the board – it’s just not putting anything together. Combined energy is weak, ranging from 49 to 245, but even the moderate energy on Sunday afternoon (245) is mismatched with the wind. Don’t bother.

Monday 3 August morning shows a little flare-up. We get a 2ft swell from the southeast, but the period jumps to 13 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy hits 271 (moderate), and with a light southerly offshore wind, it’s actually okay. Expect good surf conditions, but it’s only 2ft. For a bank that’s inconsistent and best for beginners, a clean waist-high wave with a bit of push might be worth a paddle if you’re desperate. Still, it’s not a standout.

From Tuesday 4 August onwards, it’s a long dry spell. The swell drops back to 1ft to 3ft, periods are short (8-10 seconds), and while there are some glassy mornings – like Tuesday 4 August morning with zero wind and a flat-calm ocean – the energy is weak (107). By Thursday 6 August, it’s all poor surf conditions again. The rest of the run through to Friday 14 August is a wasteland: small, weak, and mostly cross-on or onshore winds. Combined energy rarely breaks 50. It’s basically a flat spell for the second week.

The one true standout? There isn’t one. The best on offer is a brief window on Monday 3 August morning, but even then it’s marginal. For a beach-and-reef setup like Mooloolaba, when it’s this small and weak, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer during the stronger cross-off breezes.

So, if you’re hanging out for a wave, you’ll have to wait. The forecast is bleak, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here – forecasts can change. For now, I’d leave the boards in the car.

Rusty.

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