Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight – if you’re after a proper surf in the next couple of weeks, you’re gonna have to be patient. This outlook covers Noosa - Sunshine Beach, and honestly, it’s a pretty grim run for this stretch of sand. The whole 16-day window is littered with poor surf conditions and not a single standout worth paddling for. The good news is that later in the second week there’s a blink of something, but you have to get through a lot of average to get there.

Right off the bat, from Friday 11 September through to the end of the first week, it’s a write-off. The swell shows up, sure – around 3ft to 7ft on the Friday, coming from the SE and ESE – but it’s all short-period junk (6 to 8 seconds) and the wind is a constant cross-onshore mess, mostly 9 to 16 mph. That’s delivering choppy, poor surf conditions with combined wave energy readings between 150 and 482 (moderate to moderately strong energy, but all wasted on the wind). The water temp is about 70°, which is pretty normal for this time of year (anomaly of -0.9°), so no surprises there. Saturday and Sunday are more of the same – rain showers, cross-onshore breeze, and surf that’s just not fun. By Monday 14 September the swell drops to 3ft or less, and the energy falls below 100 (weak). It’s a flat, choppy stretch. Tuesday 15 September morning gives a tiny moment – 3ft, glassy conditions from a light ESE breeze – but with a 6-second period and combined energy of just 59, it’s barely surfable. The file calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and I’d say that’s about right. Not worth driving for.

Then we hit Wednesday 16 September afternoon, and it gets silly – the wind cranks up to 25 mph from the SSE, and the swell jumps to 7ft with a 6-second period. That’s 381 units of energy (moderate) but with a strong cross-onshore, it’s messy and lumpy. This isn’t a surf setup; it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Thursday 17 September stays poor with 7ft SE swell and fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph, energy at 498 – again, moderate-strong energy but blown out.

After that, it’s a slow fade. From Friday 18 September right through to Saturday 26 September, the swell lingers between 2ft and 4ft, mostly from the E, NE, or ENE, with periods of 4 to 7 seconds. Combined energy stays under 200 for the most part (weak to low-moderate). There’s a few glassy windows – like Sunday 20 September morning with 2ft and no wind – but that’s ankle-biters. The winds are often cross-on or onshore, and the conditions are repeatedly labelled “poor surf conditions.” The only real flicker of hope is the last few days, from Friday 25 September afternoon into Saturday 26 September, where the swell nudges 4ft to 4ft from the NE with a 7-second period and light winds. Energy hits 119 to 173 (low-moderate), but it’s still onshore and the quality isn’t there. No standout day in the whole window – honestly, the best bet is that Tuesday 15 September morning glassy moment, but even that’s tiny.

So here it is: no true standouts, just a long gap of poor conditions and a few fleeting, very ordinary windows. The forecast can always change, but for now, give the board a rest.

Rusty.

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