Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

First up, things are looking a bit flat and funky for the next few days at Mooloolaba. We've got a long gap here with no real surf to get excited about. From Sunday the 12th through to Wednesday the 15th, it's pretty much a write-off. The swell is tiny and weak, with energy readings barely registering – we're talking combined swell energy from 13 to 186 (weak). The wind is all over the place, and conditions just aren't coming together. It's a slow start.

Monday morning the 13th, there's a tiny 2ft ESE swell with a period of 10 seconds and a glassy, clean feel with light offshore wind. You might be able to find a knee-high ripple, but it's desperate. The energy is very weak (62). For the rest of that week, it's just poor surf.

Now, things start to shift late in the week. By Thursday afternoon the 16th, the swell starts to ramp up in a serious way, but it comes with a warning. We see a jump to 8ft from the SE with a short 8-second period and a combined energy of 822 (moderate). That's a lot of power for a beach and reef setup, and with 22 mph cross-offshore winds, it's going to be a messy, blown-out mess. This is strictly for the experienced crew, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle session.

Friday the 17th through to Saturday the 18th is the real heavy stuff. Swell holds at 10ft to 11ft from the SE, with the period stretching to 11 seconds. The combined swell energy skyrockets into the strong range – 1719 on Friday, then 2650 on Saturday. This is expert-only territory. The wind is still a strong cross-off, so it'll be raw and powerful. Not a beginner's game at all.

The standout window finally arrives on Sunday the 20th of July. By the morning, the swell has dropped to a more manageable 8ft from the SE with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is still strong at 1593, but the wind is a light cross-shore, which will help. The real gem, though, is Monday the 21st of July. The morning is the best on offer. We've got a 5.5ft ESE groundswell with a long period of 12 seconds. The combined swell energy is 870 (moderate), and the wind is glassy – absolute perfection. This will be the cleanest, most lined-up surf of the whole period. Mooloolaba will be offering up some great shape on the reefs, though watch for those longer gaps between sets. Crowds can be an issue here, so get in early.

The rest of the second week sees the swell slowly ease, with clean but smaller waves through Wednesday and Thursday. A new pulse of 6ft SE swell shows up on Thursday the 23rd with a gentle offshore wind and combined energy of 1018 (strong), offering another decent day for the dedicated. After that, it fades out again into the final weekend with poor conditions and weak, inconsistent surf.

Stay patient, get that Monday 21st glassy morning session, and you'll be rewarded.

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