Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Mooloolaba over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, the next week and a bit is going to be a bit of a grind. We've got small, weak, short-period wind swell from the east, and the energy is just not there for anything decent. The water's sitting at 68°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, about a degree and a bit below average.

The first real chance to get a wave that's worth paddling out for is on Friday, 21 August. It's not a classic, but the morning has a clean 4ft of east swell with a 7-second period. The wind is a light ESE cross-off, which will keep the surface tidy. The combined energy is only moderate (155), so don't expect any power. It's surfable, just very ordinary. The afternoon goes glassy, and the swell drops to 3ft, making it a good session for a longboard where you're just cruising.

Saturday the 22nd is pretty much the same story. The morning is glassy calm with 3ft of east swell. It's clean, but it's small. The wind swings around to a cross-on in the afternoon, wrecking the surface.

Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are a write-off. The swell is tiny, and the wind is messy. The energy drops below 100 on Monday, which is weak. You're better off doing something else.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Tuesday, 25 August. The morning is glassy again, with a 3ft east swell, but the period ticks up to 9 seconds, giving it a bit more shape. The energy is moderate (123). It's still small, but it'll be clean and fun on a log.

Wednesday the 26th morning is another glassy one, with 3ft of east swell, but the afternoon goes cross-on and choppy. Thursday the 27th has a bit more size, 4ft, and the wind is a clean cross-off all day. The energy jumps up to 181 in the morning and then a solid 307 in the afternoon, which is a sign there's a bit more push. It's still a short period (8 seconds), but the clean conditions will make it rideable.

Then we hit a dry patch from Friday the 28th through to Sunday the 31st of August. The swell is small, 3ft, with onshore winds and poor surf quality. The energy is weak. It's a few days of flat, choppy nothing.

Now, here's the standout. Monday, 31 August morning, the wind swings offshore from the SW and the swell jumps to 6ft. It's still short period (7 seconds), but the energy is moderate (265) and it's clean. This is the first time we see a proper waist-to-chest high wave. The afternoon gets messy with an onshore wind, but that morning window is the best we've seen.

The real gem, and the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday, 01 September. The morning has a 6ft east swell with a stiff SW wind blowing cross-off at 25 km/h. The energy is strong (364). It's going to be a bit lumpy from the wind, but it's off the land. The afternoon is the absolute pick of the forecast. The swell holds at 6ft, the wind drops to a light SE cross-off, and the energy is still strong (364). The forecast says "expect good surf conditions" and it's the only 2/10 score in the whole run. This is a solid chest-to-head high wave, clean, with some push. It's a bit big for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the session to chase.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is still clean with 5ft of east swell, but the energy is still up there (357). The afternoon gets a bit of a chop with a stronger SE wind.

After that, the swell fades back down. Thursday the 3rd has 4ft of east swell with a better 10-second period, and the morning is clean cross-off. Friday the 4th morning is glassy with 4ft of east swell, but it's small again. The following weekend (5th and 6th) is back to small, clean but weak surf.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a lot of small, clean but ordinary waves. The standout is the afternoon of Tuesday, 1st September. That's your best bet. The morning of Monday, 31 August is also worth a look if you can't wait.

No standout for the true beginners in the bigger stuff, but the glassy mornings on the 22nd, 25th, and 26th will be fine for a learner's longboard session. The crowds are listed as "often" at Mooloolaba, so expect company, especially on those clean small days.

Rusty.

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