Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Mooloolaba over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty bleak stretch ahead. We’re looking at a run of mostly ordinary conditions, with only a few brief windows where it might be worth paddling out. There’s a big gap early on with no real recommendations, and then again in the second week. It’s one of those spells where you’re better off keeping the board in the shed more often than not.

Let’s kick off with the one that stands out the most. Thursday morning the 23rd of July is your best bet. We’ve got a 3.9ft swell rolling in from the east with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is sitting at a moderate 207. The wind is dead glassy from the SSW at just 3 mph, which means the surface will be silky smooth. Mooloolaba is a beach and reef setup, and while it’s rated for beginners, this is the cleanest it’s gonna get. That glassy wind is a huge positive – you’ll find some fun little waves if you time it right. Keep in mind the break can be inconsistent, though, so don’t expect a non-stop party.

Friday the 24th of July morning has a smaller 2.9ft east swell with energy way down at 106, but the wind is offshore from the south at 12 mph. It’ll be clean, but the swell is weak and the period is short at 8 seconds. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. The afternoon sees a jump in size to 5.9ft from the southeast with a short 6-second period and moderate energy at 307, but the wind is cross-offshore and strong at 16 mph. The combo of short period and that wind won’t make for a great paddle.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are pretty forgettable. Swell hangs around 3.9ft to 2.3ft, with energy dropping from 199 down to 57. Winds are light and cross-offshore, so it’s not blown out, but the waves are small and ordinary.

Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 28th, the swell bottoms out – down to 0.7ft to 0.9ft with energy in the 20s and 30s. There’s a long-period 12-second swell on Tuesday morning, but it’s tiny and the energy is pathetic. Not worth a second look.

Wednesday the 29th brings a slight bump back to 2.3ft east swell, energy at 48, with a light offshore wind. Still too weak to recommend.

From the 30th of July through the 1st of August, the wind gets serious. Thursday the 30th has a 4.6ft to 5.2ft southeast swell with moderate energy (219 to 325), but the wind is a fresh cross-offshore breeze at 19 to 22 mph. The combo of size and strong wind might make it more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Friday the 31st drops back to 3.6ft with similar strong wind.

Saturday the 1st of August has 4.9ft to 4.3ft southeast swell, energy in the 260s, again with strong wind. Same story – not great for a paddle, but kites will be having a field day.

Sunday the 2nd of August is notable because the swell period jumps to 12 seconds from the southeast, with swell heights around 3.9ft to 4.3ft and combined energy jumping to a strong 519. This is a real groundswell with lots of energy, but it’s marked as marginal, and the wind is cross-offshore at 9 to 12 mph. With that long period, waves might be a bit straight at the beach break, but cleaner on the reef side. Still, it’s only a 1 out of 10, so don’t hold your breath.

The rest of the second week (3rd to 7th of August) is a mix of small, average swell with poor to ordinary conditions. There’s a brief window on Wednesday morning the 5th with a light SSW offshore wind at 3 mph and a 2.6ft east-southeast swell with a long 11-second period, energy at 138. That’s clean, but tiny.

Then, on Friday the 7th of August, we get a big jump to 9.8ft from the east-southeast with an 8-second period and very strong energy at 978. That’s a lot of water moving, but with such a short period, it’ll be a messy, heaving wall of foam. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore breeze at 19 mph. This one is strictly for experts only – way too big and chaotic for anyone else.

So, bottom line: Thursday morning the 23rd of July is the standout session. The rest of the window is filled with gaps of poor or marginal surf, especially from the 27th to the 29th and then again mid-week in August. You’d be waiting a long time between good waves.

Stay patient, mate.

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