Mooloolaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, switchin’ to imperial for the crew who think in feet and miles.

Water temp’s about 69°, just a tick under the long-term average for this time of year – nothing unusual.

First up, the next week and a half is a tough slog. From Sunday the 6th through to Friday the 18th, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. The swell’s tiny, the period is short – most of it under 8 seconds – and the energy’s weak. You’ll see a few clean windows, like Tuesday the 8th morning with a 2ft NE swell, but the wind’s still cross-off and the waves are just ordinary. We get a bump on Wednesday the 9th morning with a 3ft SE swell, energy moderate (156) and the period improvin’, but not enough to get psyched about.

Thursday the 10th sees a jump to 8ft SE swell, but that short period of 6 seconds and a fresh breeze make it a choppy, sloppy mess. Energy’s strong (556) but the quality’s poor. That’s a kite-surfer’s day, not a paddle surfer’s.

Friday the 18th afternoon is where the whole picture changes. We get a solid groundswell: 5ft from the SE, with a very long period of 12 seconds and energy cranked to 789. Winds are light and cross-off, keepin’ it clean. This is the standout. Mooloolaba is a beach and reef setup, so this long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely – expect well-shaped waves with good energy and longer lulls between sets. It’s a proper session.

Then Saturday the 19th morning is the absolute gem. 5ft SE swell, period up to 13 seconds, energy at 882 – strong. Winds are light from the SSE, so it’s clean, and the water’s glassy. This is the best on offer. The swell direction from the SE is not the optimum NE for Mooloolaba, but with that quality of groundswell and light wind, it’ll still produce. Crowds are often an issue here, so be ready to share the peak.

Sunday the 20th morning is glassy with a 3ft SE swell, period 11 seconds – fun, clean, but small. Good for a longboard if you’re after a relaxed paddle.

So, overall: suffer through the first 12 days, then Friday the 18th arvo through Saturday the 19th morning is the go. Saturday morning is the pick of the bunch.

Rusty.

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