Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what Noosa – Sunshine Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The start of the period is pretty lacklustre. We’ve got a small, weak, short-period swell bumping in from the NNE on Monday the 10th, around 4ft, but the energy is weak (245) and the wind is working against it. By Monday afternoon, the wind swings west and goes offshore, and that’s where we see the first real chance for a surf. The swell stays small at 4ft from the NNE, but with that offshore wind, it’ll clean right up. It’s not big, but it’ll be fun and lined up for the longboard or a twinny. That afternoon window on Monday the 10th is probably your best bet for the whole first week.

Water temp is 69°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

After that, the surf drops right off. Tuesday the 11th sees tiny 2ft east swell, and while the morning has light winds, the swell is just too small to get excited about. Wednesday the 12th goes dead flat with a glassy 2ft east swell – you’d be staring at an ocean that looks like a lake. Thursday the 13th is even smaller at 2ft. From the 11th through to the 17th, there’s really no recommendation for decent surf. It’s a long, flat gap of nearly a week.

The second week starts to show some life, but with problems. From the 17th of August onwards, the swell builds significantly, up to 5ft on Monday, then 6ft on Wednesday the 19th, and finally hitting 8ft on Friday the 21st. The combined swell energy gets serious, jumping from 301 all the way up to 2083 by Friday morning. That's strong wave energy. But here’s the catch – the wind is a relentless cross-onshore from the southeast or south-southeast, making everything messy, choppy, and lumpy. It’s going to be poor conditions for paddle surfing all through that period.

Now, there is one standout, but it comes with a big caveat. On Friday morning, the 21st of August, the forecast shows an 8ft swell from the east with a 10-second period. That’s a solid, powerful groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 2083, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, not directly onshore. The guidance notes say the wind and tide are favourable, but warns the swell might be too big for this specific break. For experts, this could have some serious pits, especially if the banks line up, but for anyone else, it’s probably a day to watch from the beach. There’s a similar call on Sunday the 23rd with a clean 7ft swell from the ESE and a light cross-offshore SSW wind, but again, potentially too big for the average punter.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Right at the very end, on Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, the swell drops back to a manageable 4ft from the east, with a nice 10-second period and clean offshore winds from the NNW and then a fresh WSW. That could be a nice, clean session to finish the run, but it’s a long way out.

So, if you’re looking for the best on offer, make the call for Monday afternoon (August 10th) for a clean, small session, or if you’re an experienced surfer, keep an eye on Friday morning (August 21st) for a potentially heavy, powerful swell, but know it could be a handful.

Rusty

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