Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here. Let's be straight with you, the next couple of weeks at Mooloolaba are a mixed bag. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing really happening, then a bit of a pulse toward the end, but it's not for everyone. The water temp is sitting right where it should be for this time of year, so no dramas there.

We start off on Wednesday, the 12th of August. The morning is your best bet early on, with a tiny 2 ft swell from the east and next to no wind. It’s glassy, and the combined energy is weak (75). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for those little waves. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it’s pretty much game over. From Thursday the 13th right through the weekend and into the following week, things go flat. We’re looking at tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft easterly slop, and while the wind is often clean, the energy is just too low (30-50). It’s a real dry spell, so don’t bother paddling out.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit interesting. Around Monday the 17th, the swell tries to pick up, but it’s a short-period, wind-driven mess from the southeast. The height jumps to 5 ft to 6 ft, and the combined energy starts climbing (195-249), but the period is a paltry 6 seconds. It’s lumpy and poor. Into Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, we get a bit more size, up to 7 ft, and the period climbs to 8 seconds. The energy is now moderate (425-805), but it’s still a bit messy with cross-offshore winds. The forecast calls it marginal, and I’d say it’s more for the keen locals than a visitor.

The standout window arrives on Thursday the 20th of August. The morning shows a solid 10 ft of east-southeast groundswell, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a massive 2597, which is strong. The wind is clean and light from the south-southeast. This is a big, powerful swell. For Mooloolaba, which is a beach and reef setup, that size is going to be heavy and for experts only. The bars will be moving, and it’s going to be a challenge. The afternoon drops to 8 ft, still solid.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are your best bets for the everyday surfer. The swell drops to a much more manageable 6 ft from the east, with a clean 10-11 second period. The combined energy is still strong (697-875). The wind is light and offshore, promising some really clean waves. Friday morning and Saturday morning are the pick. The swell direction is from the east, and the optimum here is from the northeast, so it’s a bit off-angle, but it should still provide some fun, rippable walls. Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and chops it up, so get out early.

After that, the swell fades again. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th bring onshore winds and smaller, poor surf. Tuesday the 25th through Thursday the 27th is back to tiny, weak waves with poor conditions.

So, to wrap it up: forget the first week. The standout is the early morning of Thursday the 20th for the big-wave crew, but the real sweet spot for the average surfer is Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd. Get on it early.

Rusty

Read more