Surf Forecasts:
Noosa - Sunshine Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, E swell with 302 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Noosa - Sunshine Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Noosa - Sunshine Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Noosa - Sunshine Beach in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Noosa - Sunshine Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day window for Sunshine Beach is a real tough one to call. We’ve got a long stretch of ordinary to poor conditions, with only a few fleeting moments that might get your heart racing. Don’t get your hopes up too high, but there’s one morning that’s going to be worth setting the alarm for.
The forecast kicks off on Thursday, 20 August, and it’s a bit of a dud. We’ve got a 6ft easterly swell rolling in with a short 8-second period, but it’s a messy cross-on ESE wind at 9 mph turning it into a choppy, poor surf picture. The combined wave energy is moderate at 456, but honestly, it’s not doing you any favours. Friday and Saturday are more of the same, with small 3ft to 3ft swell and light onshore winds keeping things ordinary. Saturday morning, 22 August, does see a brief window of glassy conditions with a 3ft E swell, but it’s still weak and unexciting.
Sunday, 23 August, brings another glassy start with a 3ft ENE swell, but again, it’s not enough to write home about. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year—so you’ll want a decent spring suit.
The real standout, and I mean the only one I’d genuinely recommend, is Tuesday morning, 1 September. We’ve got a 4ft easterly swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light WSW at 3 mph, giving us clean cross-off conditions. The water is glassy, the waves are surfable, and the combined energy is moderate at 292. It’s not massive, but it’s the best we’ve got. The offshore wind will keep things tidy, and with the swell direction (E) matching the optimum from the east, it’s a solid call for an intermediate surfer.
After that, Wednesday morning, 2 September, sees a bump in size to 5ft with a 10-second period, but the SSE wind at 12 mph kicks up a cross-chop, ruining it. The energy is moderate at 418, but it’s just not clean enough. The rest of the first week and into the second week is a run of onshore winds and small, weak swell. By Thursday, 3 September, and into Friday, 4 September, we’re back to ordinary 4ft to 3ft swell with onshore winds.
So, to sum it up: if you’re a beginner, the 4ft on 1 September is manageable, but anything over 5ft might be a stretch. For experts, there’s nothing here over 8ft, so don’t expect a big-gun day. The crowds? Sunshine Beach can get busy, so you might have some company, but on that Tuesday morning, it’s worth the paddle. The rest of the 16 days? It’s a long, flat, and choppy run. But hey, forecasts can change, and it rarely stays this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
329 | 294 | 174 | 98 | 155 | 100 | 108 | 134 | 143 | 130 | 105 | 71 | 55 | 61 | 65 | 86 | 66 | 63 | 74 | 51 | 57 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:04PM1.42m | 1:12AM1.12m | 3:22PM1.45m | 2:41AM1.06m | 4:27PM1.52m | 4:14AM1.07m | 5:17PM1.61m | 5:17AM1.14m | 5:57PM1.71m | 6:03AM1.23m | 6:31PM1.79m | 6:42AM1.32m | 7:04PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:30PM0.90m | 7:45AM0.61m | 10:13PM0.90m | 8:57AM0.63m | 11:20PM0.82m | 10:07AM0.62m | 00:03AM0.73m | 11:02AM0.56m | 00:35AM0.62m | 11:48AM0.49m | 1:05AM0.53m | 12:29PM0.42m | 1:33AM0.44m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 |
127 | 294 | 174 | 98 | 155 | 100 | 108 | 134 | 143 | 130 | 105 | 71 | 55 | 61 | 65 | 86 | 66 | 63 | 74 | 51 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | ENE 10 | NE 9 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
— | 53 | 77 | 81 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 20 | 30 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 28 | 57 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | E 14 | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 10 | SE 8 | SE 7 | E 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | S 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | E 15 | S 10 | E 13 |
— | — | 4 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | ENE 3 | — |
329 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 696 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sunshine Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Noosa - Sunshine Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Noosa - Sunshine Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Noosa - Sunshine Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Noosa - Sunshine Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Noosa - Sunshine Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Noosa - Sunshine Beach is 33 km (20 miles) from Sunshine Coast. If you plan a holiday in Sunshine Coast, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sunshine Coast. Sunshine Coast has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











