Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Sunshine Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. The first few days are pretty flat with tiny, weak swell. The first real call comes in on Wednesday morning, but it’s a small one. We’re looking at a clean 2ft easterly swell with a short period of 10 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The energy is weak (66). It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The water is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, about a couple of degrees off the average, so you’ll want a spring suit. That Wednesday morning is the pick of the first few days, but honestly, there’s nothing to get excited about.

From Wednesday afternoon right through to the following Tuesday morning, it’s a write-off. The wind swings onshore or cross-shore, the swell stays tiny and weak, and the scores are all poor. There’s a gap of nearly a week where the conditions are just no good for a paddle.

We finally get a little spike of energy on Monday, September 7th, but the wind is a cross-onshore from the SE, making it messy. The combined energy hits 122, which is moderate, but it’s not clean. That pattern continues for a few days.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but not for the faint-hearted. Moving into the second week, around Friday, September 11th, the swell starts to ramp up. By Friday morning, we’ve got a 7ft southeasterly swell with a short period of 7 seconds, and the energy is strong at 407. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. This is expert territory. It’s worth noting that the swell direction is from the SE, but the optimum direction for this break is E, so it’s not quite lining up perfectly.

The standout window is Saturday, September 12th, through Sunday, September 13th. The swell holds around 7ft to 8ft from the east-southeast, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is very strong (542 to 679). The wind is forecast to be light, even glassy at times, which is a huge positive. The wave comments say the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. For a consistent, exposed beach break like Sunshine Beach, when it hits over 8ft, it’s only for experts. These are big, powerful, short-period waves. It’s a serious paddle out there. If you’re an experienced surfer and you’re looking for a challenge, Saturday morning looks the cleanest with that light SE breeze. But if you’re a beginner, stay well away. This is more of a spectacle than a session for most.

After that pulse, the swell drops back through the following week, with the wind turning onshore again, so it’s back to poor conditions.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The standout is the Saturday and Sunday of the second week (September 12th and 13th) for big, powerful, clean waves, but it’s for experts only. For everyone else, this forecast is a bit of a bummer. The weather and swell just aren’t lining up for a good, user-friendly surf.

Rusty.

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