Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Mooloolaba over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a rough stretch. The first real surfable window doesn’t look like it’ll show up until Saturday morning, the 18th of July, and even then, it’s pretty marginal. Before that, Friday the 17th is a write-off – strong cross-off winds and messy, short-period swell at 6ft to 7ft, with combined energy around 316 to 349 (weak to moderate). Not worth paddling out for.

Come Saturday morning, the 18th, we get a bit of a lift: a clean 6ft SE swell from the south, with a 19 mph offshore wind. That’s the best wind we’ll see for a while, and the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a bit short and wind-driven. The combined energy hits 460 (moderate). It’s not a day to get too excited, but it’s the first chance at something rideable, even if it’s more for the experienced crew.

Sunday morning, the 19th, brings a bigger 8ft ESE swell with a 10-second period, and combined energy up to 1380 (strong). That’s a lot of water moving around, but the wind is cross-off from the SSE at 19 mph, which isn’t ideal for Mooloolaba. That size is pushing into expert-only territory, and with the short period, it’ll be a bit lumpy. The afternoon drops off quickly.

Monday the 20th sees the swell peak – 10ft ESE with a 10-second period, and combined energy over 1900 (very strong). That’s a serious amount of energy, but the wind stays cross-off. This is big, raw, and for the very experienced only. Beginners should stay well clear.

The quality slowly improves towards Wednesday the 22nd. The swell drops to a cleaner 6ft from the east, period pushes to 9 seconds, and the wind drops to a light breeze. Combined energy is 459 (moderate). It’s still not perfect, but it’s the most manageable and cleanest we’ve seen. Thursday the 23rd morning is glassy, with a 4ft east swell and 9-second period, but combined energy is only 223 (weak). It’s small and clean, but ordinary.

From Friday the 24th onward, it’s a slow fade. The swell drops away, periods get short, and the wind picks up again. There’s a tiny window on Sunday the 26th morning with a 2ft SE swell, a 9 mph offshore, and a 7-second period – but the combined energy is a measly 64 (weak). Not really worth the effort.

The second week is a long, flat spell. From Monday the 27th of July through to the end of the month, the swell barely scrapes 3ft, with periods all over the place (12 seconds on the 27th, but only 3ft, and the energy is weak). The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The standout of the whole outlook is the Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd – that’s your best bet for a clean, manageable session, especially if you can get out early on the 23rd when it’s glassy. The rest is either too big, too windy, or too small. It’s a flat spell for the area, and a blank run like this isn’t unusual for Mooloolaba.

Rusty.

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