Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with ya – this outlook for Sunshine Beach is a tough one. We’ve got a real quiet stretch ahead, with barely a pulse of decent surf to get excited about. The good news is the beach is consistent, so when we do get a window, it’s reliable, but honestly, the next couple of weeks are mostly about small, choppy, and messy conditions. There’s a big gap of poor surf ahead, so let’s break it down.

We start Wednesday, August 26th, with the best we’ve got for a while. It’s not much, but it’s clean. The morning sees a tiny 3ft swell from the ENE at 8 seconds, with a light offshore wind from the WSW at 3 mph. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year. The combined energy is weak, at 118, so it’s small and weak. The afternoon glass off is even better – the wind drops to glassy, and the swell lifts to a limp 3ft. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. If you’re desperate for a paddle, this is your window.

Thursday, August 27th, blows up. A strong SSE wind hits 16 mph, and the swell jumps to 5ft but from the SSE with a short, weak 6-second period. The energy jumps to 216 (moderate), but it’s a cross-shore mess. Poor surf quality. Friday and Saturday are rinse and repeat – small, weak swells, cross-onshore winds, and choppy surfaces. By Sunday, August 30th, the wind cranks to 19 mph from the SSE, and the swell hits 6ft – too big for beginners, but it’s a lumpy, cross-onshore disaster with a 6-second period. Not for surfing.

The first week of September is more of the same: tiny 2ft to 3ft swells, mostly cross-onshore winds, and poor conditions. Wednesday, September 2nd, has a brief moment of hope – a glassy morning with 3ft from the E at 9 seconds, and the energy is 149 (weak). But it’s not enough to get the heart pumping. Friday, September 4th, and Saturday, September 5th, offer clean, glassy mornings with tiny 3ft and 2ft swells, but again, it’s small and ordinary.

From there, the outlook fades into a long stretch of nothing. From September 6th through to September 10th, we’re looking at swells around 1ft to 4ft, but with onshore winds, short periods, and very low energy – the combined energy drops to as low as 36. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s pretty normal when the forecasts are quiet. The only standout, if you can call it that, is the Wednesday morning glass-off on August 26th. It’s the cleanest, most surfable moment in the whole 16 days, even if the waves are small. Crowds are possible at Sunshine Beach, but with conditions this ordinary, you’ll probably have it to yourself.

Rusty.

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