Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this outlook for Mooloolaba is a tough one. We’ve got a 16-day window, but don’t get your hopes up too early. There’s a real flat spell to start, and the surf that does show up is mostly small, mixed up, and ordinary. It’s not a complete write-off, but you’ve gotta be picky and patient.

Alright, let’s run through it. Starting Monday the 27th of July, we’ve got tiny 1ft waves from the east with a short period of 7 seconds and weak combined energy (19). The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it’s clean, but there’s just no push. That continues into Tuesday the 28th with similar tiny 1ft stuff and combined energy (31). It’s surfable, but barely. Wednesday the 29th offers a bit more with 2ft east swell, period only 6 seconds, and combined energy (42), plus it’s glassy in the morning. Still, for a beach and reef setup, that’s not doing much.

Thursday the 30th is where we finally get a little life—2ft from the ENE, 7-second period, and combined energy (55) in the morning. The wind is solid offshore from the south at 20 km/h, so it’s clean. The score bumps to “1” which means surfable waves, but very ordinary conditions. It’s not a standout, but if you’re desperate, that Thursday morning is your first real chance.

Friday the 31st sees a jump in size: 4ft from the east in the morning with combined energy (129) and 5ft in the afternoon with combined energy (228). But the period is still short at 6–7 seconds, and the wind is a stiff cross-off from the SSE at 25 km/h. It’s messy and the calls are all “poor surf conditions.” For a beach and reef break like Mooloolaba, this is more of a choppy, blown-out affair.

Saturday the 1st of August starts with rain showers and 3ft east swell, combined energy (92), then builds to 5ft in the afternoon (combined energy 185) from the ESE. Period is still short at 6 seconds. The cross-off wind from the SE at 15–20 km/h keeps it clean-ish, but again, the quality is poor.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August morning has 6ft from the ESE with a 7-second period and combined energy (282). That’s the biggest we’ve seen, but it’s short-period, and the wind is cross-shore from the ESE at 10 km/h. The comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” This one’s for experienced surfers only if you’re game—over 5ft means not for beginners. But honestly, it’s not clean.

The following week is more of the same: small, short-period swell with energy mostly between 100 and 250. The best chance in that stretch is Thursday the 6th of August morning with 4ft east swell, 8-second period, combined energy (179), and light offshore wind from the south at 10 km/h. Clean, but still ordinary. Then Friday the 7th of August morning actually goes glassy with 3ft ENE swell, 9-second period, and combined energy (153). That’s a rare moment of calm and clean surf for a beach break—still small but worth a look if you’ve got a longboard.

The second week, from Monday the 10th of August onward, the energy drops right off. Combined energy falls below 100, swell sizes shrink to 1–2ft, and the period is short. Not worth paddling out for.

So, what’s the pick? Honestly, there’s no true standout. If I had to point you somewhere, Thursday the 30th of July morning and Friday the 7th August morning are the only moments with clean conditions and at least some swell. The 7th of August morning is glassy—that’s a big positive—but the swell is only 3ft. For the Mooloolaba break itself, it’s a beach and reef setup, inconsistent, and crowds are often there. The water temperature is running at 68°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year (about 2°F below average), so don’t forget a wetsuit.

No big swells, no groundswells with long period—it’s a bleak run. But as I always say, it won’t stay poor forever, and forecasts can change.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

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