Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Mooloolaba (Sunshine Coast) for a while now. Mate, I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. There’s no real standout surf on offer, and the whole period is a bit of a flat, messy washout. Let’s break it down.

The water temp at Mooloolaba is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 2° below average. You’ll want a decent spring suit if you’re heading out.

Right now, on Thursday the 27th of August, we’ve got a tiny 2ft easterly swell with a short period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 102. The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the waves are just poor – hardly worth the paddle. Thursday afternoon is even worse, with a 3ft SE swell but only 6 seconds of period, energy bumping to 163 but still weak, and the surf is poor.

Friday the 28th of August starts with a 3ft ENE swell, period 7 seconds, and energy dropping to 83. The wind is light from the south at 6 mph, cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s only “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – a 1 out of 10 vibe. Friday afternoon’s a write-off with a cross-shore breeze and poor surf.

Saturday the 29th of August is tiny – 2ft E swell, period 8 seconds, energy in the 50s, and clean but poor conditions. Sunday the 30th of August sees a bit of a bump: 5ft SE swell in the morning, but with a period of only 6 seconds, so it’s short and weak. The wind is a moderate 16 mph cross-off, but the energy is still low at 205. The afternoon drops right off to 2ft. The whole first week is a dud.

From Monday the 31st of August through to the end of the first week, it’s all 1ft to 2ft swells, periods between 8 and 10 seconds, and energy mostly under 100. The wind shifts around, but it’s all poor surf conditions or very ordinary. There’s a gap of days with nothing worth recommending.

The second week doesn’t get much better. Tuesday the 1st of September offers a 2ft E swell with a 10-second period, energy at 98, and light winds – clean but only “surfable waves.” Wednesday the 2nd of September has light onshore winds and poor conditions. Thursday the 3rd of September is similar. Friday the 4th of September brings some glassy conditions in the morning with a 1ft E swell, but it’s still poor. Saturday and Sunday are tiny, with onshore winds and poor surf.

There’s a small spike on Sunday the 6th of September, with a 5ft NNE swell, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds, and the wind is onshore at 16 mph. The energy is moderate at 119, but it’s poor surf – more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the strong onshore wind and short, messy swell.

The last few days – Monday the 7th to Wednesday the 9th of September – have some 2ft to 3ft swells, but the periods are short (6-9 seconds), and the winds are either onshore or cross-on. The energy is weak to moderate, but the conditions are poor across the board.

The best of the worst is probably Friday the 11th of September morning: a 2ft E swell, period 9 seconds, energy 54, light cross-off wind from the SE at 3 mph, and clean. It’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so if you’re desperate, you might get a grovelly little wave. But honestly, mate, there’s nothing here that’s firing. The inconsistency is a problem – Mooloolaba is rated as “inconsistent” and “rarely breaks” for a reason, and this forecast proves it. The good news is that with several breaks being fairly consistent in the area, it tends not to stay poor for long, and forecasts can change. But for now, I’d leave the boards in the car.

Rusty

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