Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Well, to be honest, it’s not looking like a classic stretch for the Sunshine Coast. The next 16 days are pretty hit-and-miss, with a lot of small, ordinary conditions and plenty of days where you’re better off doing something else. There’s a real gap in quality surf from the start all the way through to the first week of August, with only a few fleeting moments that are worth paddling out for. The real standout, if you can call it that, is a brief window on Sunday the 9th of August, where we get a hint of something better.

Let’s break it down. Thursday the 6th kicks off with some pretty weak, poor surf. We’re looking at a tiny 2.0ft swell from the east, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 81 (weak), and with a cross-on breeze from the NE, it’s just not worth getting wet. Nothing to see here.

Moving into Friday the 7th, the morning offers a slight improvement. The swell bumps up to 3.0ft from the east, still a short 8-second period, but the wind swings to a light southerly cross-off. The energy is still low (98) but it’s clean. You could get a few knee-high runners, but it’s very ordinary. The afternoon goes back to poor with a cross-on breeze.

Saturday the 8th is similar. The morning is clean with a light southerly breeze, and the swell is 3.0ft from the east-northeast (8 seconds, energy 113). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. The afternoon turns messy with a cross-shore breeze.

Now, here’s the best of the bunch. Sunday the 9th of August – morning session. This is the pick of the forecast. The swell ticks up to 3.3ft from the east, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 211 (moderate). But the real winner is the wind: it’s glassy. Dead flat calm. For a spot like Mooloolaba, which is a beach and reef setup, glassy conditions are gold. The water temp is sitting at 68.2°F, which is about 1.6°F cooler than normal for this time of year – not a huge deal, just a touch on the cool side. This is your best chance for a few clean, waist-high-plus waves. It’s not a groundswell, but it’s the most fun you’ll see in the first week. The afternoon goes onshore, so get out early.

After that, things drop off fast. The week from Monday the 10th through to the end of the second week is mostly poor. There are a few clean mornings with small swell (1.3ft to 2.3ft) and light offshore winds, like Tuesday the 11th morning (SSW offshore, 2.3ft, 9-second period, energy 102) and the mornings of the 14th and 15th of August. These are clean, but the waves are tiny – ankle to knee-high. They’re surfable if you’re desperate, but not recommended.

The period from the 16th of August onward gets a bit weird. The swell starts to ramp up with a lot of energy. On Sunday the 16th, we see a 7.5ft swell from the southeast, but with a short period of 7 seconds and a very strong combined energy of 524 (strong). That’s a lot of water moving, but it’s a messy, short-period wind swell. The wind is a strong southerly cross-off, which keeps it clean, but the surf quality is still rated as poor. This kind of setup, with a lot of raw energy and short-period swell, can be more appealing for the kite surfers than for paddle surfers. The beach and reef here is going to be a bit of a washing machine.

The same pattern continues into the 17th, 18th, and 19th of August: solid 5.6ft to 7.2ft swell from the east-southeast, short periods (7-8 seconds), and strong cross-off winds. The energy levels are high (400-539), but the wave quality is marginal at best. It’s big, it’s windy, and it’s going to be a challenge. Definitely not for beginners – anything over 5.0ft is pushing it for them, and over 8.0ft is for experts only. This is more in that expert zone, but the short period makes it lumpy and hard to ride.

Beyond that, the last few days of the forecast (20th-21st of August) shrink back down to small, weak swell with rain showers around. Not a great way to finish.

So, what’s the call? Sunday the 9th of August is the one true standout. The glassy morning, with a solid 3.3ft east swell, is your best bet for a few clean, fun waves. If you miss that, you’re looking at a long stretch of very ordinary, small, or blown-out conditions. The big swell at the end of the second week has power, but it’s not going to be quality surf for most. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, that Sunday morning is the one to circle.

Rust

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