Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell ya, it's Rusty here, and I've had a good look at the charts for Mooloolaba. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window looks pretty grim for a paddle. There's a massive gap here with no decent surf on offer, so we're basically looking at a long stretch of lake-like conditions or messy, weak junk.

The story starts on Wednesday the 19th of August. We've got a bit of swell pushing in, around 4ft from the SE, but the energy is weak and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze. The water is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. The setup is a beach and reef, but it's inconsistent, and truth be told, the forecast is just marginal. You'd be scratching for a wave.

Thursday the 20th through to the end of the month is a real write-off. The swell drops off a cliff, and what little energy there is gets blown out by unfavourable winds. The combined energy flirts with triple digits a few times, but mostly it’s down in the weak stuff (130-150). For a spot like Mooloolaba, which is already inconsistent, this is a blank run. We're talking more than a week of nothing worth paddling for.

Now, there’s a little flicker of life right at the very end of the forecast. On Thursday the 3rd of September, the afternoon shows a sudden spike in swell height to 7ft from the SE. That’s a solid pulse. But, and it's a big but, the wind is a cross-onshore breeze and the period is a short, weak 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 497 (moderate), but the conditions are listed as poor. That kind of short-period, blown-out 7ft+ is going to be a messy, bumpy closeout. It's more interesting for the kite surfers than for anyone trying to get a clean line on a shortboard. For the average punter, it's just a washing machine.

Honestly, if you're desperate for a session, the only glimmer of hope is Saturday the 22nd of August. The morning is glassy, with a tiny 3ft easterly swell. The combined energy is weak (130), and the period is a short 7 seconds, so it won't be world-class, but it'll be clean. It's a "surfable but very ordinary" kind of day. The crowds are often here, so you might have some company, but it's the calmest the ocean will be.

So, to wrap it up – the first week and a half is a total bust. The second week shows a pulse of size but it's messy. The long-range standouts are promising for size but not for quality. Right now, it's a waiting game. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, I'd keep the board in the car and find something else to do.

Rusty.

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