Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, let’s have a chat about what’s comin’ up for Mooloolaba. To be straight with you, it’s a rough stretch ahead. The early part of the window has some serious size, but the conditions are a battle. There’s one or two windows where it cleans up enough to get excited about, but you’ve got to pick your moments.

First up, we’ve got a big pulse of swell rollin’ in Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th. We’re talkin’ 13ft of solid SE groundswell with a period of 10 to 11 seconds, which is a proper amount of energy (3525) in the water. That’s expert-level size – way too much for the beginners, and even for a lot of intermediates. The problem is the wind is howlin’ from the SSE at 25 mph, makin’ it a cross-off breeze that’ll be howlin’ and choppy. Mooloolaba is a beach and reef setup, and with that much swell and that much wind, it’s lookin’ more like a battle zone than a fun session. Not a standout.

Tuesday the 21st sees the swell back off a little to 8ft from the ESE, still with a decent 10-second period and moderate energy (1153). Wind eases to 15 mph from the SE, still cross-off, but a bit more manageable. The wave quality is still marginal though. The water temp is 69°, which is about normal for this time of year—no freeze, nothin’ weird, just standard winter stuff.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 22nd morning is a write-off with rain and a weak cross-shore, but Wednesday afternoon the swell drops to 5ft from the east at 9 seconds, and the wind goes near-calm at 3 mph from the SE. That’s a light cross-off breeze, makin’ things clean. Energy is low at 350, so it’s a small, clean wave – perfect for the longboard or a fun mid-length. Thursday morning the 23rd is the real gem: 4ft of east swell, and the wind goes glassy – 3 mph from the WSW. That’s dead calm, mate. The sets will be clean and smooth, but the period’s short at 8 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly. Still, for Mooloolaba, that’s probably your best window in the whole 16 days. The water temp anomaly is -0.6°, dead average.

After that, it’s a slow fade. Friday the 24th sees a weird jump to 8ft from the SE with a short 7-second period (582 energy) and onshore chop in the arvo – not worth it. Saturday the 25th morning brings a glassy start with 5ft from the SE, but the period is still short (7 seconds) and the energy is only 394. It’ll be a small, clean-ish wave, but nothin’ special.

From Sunday the 26th onward, it’s a long, dry spell. We’re talkin’ over a week of tiny surf, with heights droppin’ to 2ft and below, and the energy tankin’ into single digits. There’s a few days of offshore wind, but with almost no swell to work with, it’s flat. This blank run lasts from the 26th right through to the end of the forecast on August 3rd. For Mooloolaba, that’s not too unusual in the middle of winter – sometimes the ocean just goes quiet.

So, if you want a paddle, go for Thursday morning the 23rd. That glassy 4ft east swell is clean as a whistle. Wednesday afternoon is a backup choice. Anything bigger than that is either blown out or too big for the spot.

Rusty.

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