Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for the Mooloolaba stretch, trying to find you something worth paddling out for. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper run of waves, and over the next couple of weeks, it looks like we’re going to be waiting a fair bit for anything that’s not just a messy bump.

The first real window is on the back of a modest pulse, coming through on Thursday the 10th. We’re looking at swell around 8ft to 8ft from the southeast, but the period is short, only around 7 to 8 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and unorganized. The energy is moderate, around 539 to 757. Winds are fresh out of the SSE, making it cross-off. It’s not the cleanest, but there will be waves. That size is pushing it for the beginners, though. After that, it drops off quickly. Friday the 11th still has some waist-to-chest high stuff, around 6ft and 6ft, but the energy fades to 406 and 310, and it stays cross-off with rain showers. It’ll be grovelly.

Saturday the 12th sees the swell dropping to 5ft and 4ft, and with the short period and rain, it’s not going to be much fun. The energy is down to 173 and 143. By Sunday the 13th, we are looking at knee-high leftovers, with the energy falling to 167 and then a weak 83. It’s not worth getting out of bed for unless you’re desperate to stretch the legs. From Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th, the swell stays small, under 3ft, with weak energy mostly in the double digits or low triple digits. It’s clean enough at times, but there’s just not enough push. You’d need a longboard, and even then, you’d be scratching for anything.

There’s a tiny hiccup on Thursday the 17th where the swell bumps up to 5ft, but the period is still short (7 seconds) and the wind goes a bit cross, so it’ll be sloppy. The energy is only 187, which is weak. At 5ft, the greatest challenge is it looks a bit more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, to be honest.

The standout window, if you can call it that, looks to be the 24th of September. There’s a late pulse of southeast swell on the 24th, coming in at 3ft to 4ft, but with a period of 10 seconds, which is a bit longer and has a bit more push behind it. The energy reads 144 and 213, which is still moderate but better than the dribble we’ve seen. The morning of the 24th is cross-off with a slight air, and then on the Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy. That’s about as good as it’s going to get over these two weeks. It’ll be clean and lined up, even if it’s not big. This is your best bet for a proper surf.

As for the rest of that second week, keep expectations low. There’s nothing of any substance until that 24th. It’s a long stretch of waiting, but the forecasts can change. The water temp is 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Mooloolaba is a beach and reef setup, and it can be inconsistent, so you have to pick your moments. The crowds can be a bit of a pain, too, especially on any halfway decent day. But for the 24th, it might be worth dealing with the crew to get a few clean ones.

Alright, I’ll keep an eye on it, but for now, the 24th is the day to circle. Stay patient.

Rusty

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