Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Sunshine Beach are a tough watch. The forecast is one long run of poor surf conditions, with only a handful of moments that are even surfable, and even then, it’s ordinary. The overall pattern is a weak, inconsistent run of small, short-period windswell, almost always on the wrong side of the wind. The first real gap of nothing is right from the start, with no decent surf recommended until Wednesday morning, 2 September – that’s a solid 4-day gap of nothing worth paddling for.

Let’s break it down. Saturday, 29 August, and Sunday, 30 August, are write-offs. The swell is a mix of 3 ft to 6 ft from the SE, but the period is a short, weak 5 to 7 seconds, and the wind is a solid cross-onshore at 12 to 19 mph. The water temp is 69°F, which is about average for this time of year. The energy is low to moderate, with readings of 91 to 396, but it’s all messy and choppy. Nothing to get excited about.

Monday, 31 August, is more of the same, with rain showers and a light cross-onshore, swell dropping to 3 ft. The energy is weak (106). No go.

Tuesday, 1 September, has a tiny 2 ft swell from the east with a 10-second period, but the wind is light and onshore. The energy is weak (92). Still poor.

Now, Wednesday morning, 2 September, is the first real standout – if you can call it that. The wind swings to a light NNW cross-offshore, and the swell is 2 ft from the east with a 10-second period. The energy is weak (99), but it’s clean. It’s the best you’ll get, but it’s tiny. Thursday morning, 3 September, and Friday morning, 4 September, offer similar small, clean windows with 2 ft and 1 ft swells from the NE and E, but the energy is still weak (65 and 61). These are surfable, but very ordinary.

After that, from Saturday, 5 September, through to Sunday, 13 September, it’s mostly poor again. The wind picks up, and the swell is small, short-period, and messy. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday afternoon, 8 September, with a 1 ft swell from the SE at a very long 13-second period, but the energy is weak (65) and it’s tiny. Not worth a paddle.

The only real highlight? Noosa – Sunshine Beach (the only break in the forecast) is a consistent, exposed beach break, but the direction is off. The optimum swell is from the east, but we’re mostly getting SE to NNE windswell. The best call is Wednesday morning, 2 September, with the light cross-offshore wind and clean 2 ft easterly swell. It’s not big, but it’s the cleanest window in a long, poor run. The crowds are only sometimes an issue, so you might have it fairly quiet. For a beginner, this is fine – it’s small. For an expert, it’s a grovel.

The second week, from 9 September onward, is even worse. Tiny swells, weak energy, and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. Long-range, it’s promising only if you’re desperate for a paddle. The energy stays weak, with readings mostly under 100 (e.g., 22, 75, 120). The 16-day window is a bust for quality surf.

Bottom line: if you’re itching for a session, the cleanest tiny waves are on Wednesday morning, 2 September. Otherwise, the forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but right now, it’s a flat spell with a few crumbs.

Rusty.

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