Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for Sunshine Beach (Noosa – Sunshine Beach). Straight up, this is a pretty bleak run for the next couple of weeks. The models are showing almost no real surf on offer for the entire 16-day window.

We’re starting off with a bit of a gap. The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 30th of August kicks off with rain showers and a messy, cross-onshore SE wind at 16 mph. The swell is a weak 5 ft from the SE with a short, choppy 6-second period. The combined energy is weak at 190. That’s poor surf. The water’s a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 68°F.

Monday and Tuesday are much the same story – small, weak swell in the 2 ft to 4 ft range, all wind-affected and mostly poor. By Wednesday morning the 2nd of September, we finally get a slight break. The wind swings light NNW at 6 mph, going cross-offshore, and the conditions clean up. Swell is tiny though – 2 ft from the east with a 10-second period – so while the clean conditions are nice, there’s hardly any energy (61). I’d call it surfable but very ordinary.

Thursday and Friday of that week have similar morning windows with light offshore winds and clean conditions, but the swell stays pathetic – around 1 ft to 2 ft. Not enough to get excited about.

Now, the one standout in the whole outlook is Tuesday the 8th of September. Tuesday afternoon brings a gentler offshore wind from the west at 9 mph, and the swell jumps to 6 ft from the NNE with a 6-second period. Combined energy hits a moderate 204, and it’s the only window that scores “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the best on offer. The swell direction is from NNE, which is cross to the optimum easterly direction for this break, but with offshore winds and clean faces, it’ll be the pick of a very quiet period. Keep in mind, the surf is more suited to intermediates, and crowds are sometimes an issue here.

After that, from the 9th of September onwards, it’s back to tiny or weak surf, mostly cross-onshore winds, and generally poor conditions right through to the 14th. The combined swell energy dips well under 100 for days on end, and the periods are short or inconsistent.

Given the area, a blank run like this is not unusual, but it still stings. The forecasts could change, so don’t give up hope, but for now, mark that Tuesday afternoon on the 8th as your best bet for a clean, surfable wave. This is Rusty, signing off.

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