Noosa - Sunshine Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been studying the charts for your local spot—Noosa’s Sunshine Beach—and I’ve gotta be honest: it’s a long, flat, frustrating wait for the first 15 days. The forecast starts now, but there’s nothing worth paddling out for until we hit Saturday, August 8th. That’s a brutal gap of over a week with zero surf that’s any good. The early days are all poor surf conditions—tiny dribbles, cross-shore junk, and onshore chop. A few mornings in late July and early August see a bit of cross-off or offshore wind, but the swell is just too small and weak to do anything with. The water temperature at Sunshine Beach is sitting at 68°F, which is about 2°F cooler than average for this time of year—pretty normal, nothing to get excited about.

Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday morning, August 8th, and it’s the standout of the whole 16-day window. Sunshine Beach sees a 5ft swell from the southeast, with a period of 11 seconds—that’s a proper groundswell, and it’s carrying some decent energy. The combined energy of all swells directed here is 669 (strong), and with a light cross-onshore breeze, it’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The swell direction is southeast, which is offshore-adjacent for this east-facing break, so the waves should have some shape. At 5ft, it’s a bit much for beginners, but intermediate surfers will find plenty to work with. The wind is light, which helps keep the surface cleanish, though the cross-onshore element means it won’t be glassy. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so expect company. This swell is long-period, so at a beach break like Sunshine Beach, the sets might be a little straight, but the energy is there.

Sunday, August 9th, drops off a bit—4ft from the southeast, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 236 (moderate). The wind is still light cross-onshore, so it’s surfable but not a standout. The rest of the second week stays in the 3ft to 3ft range, with onshore breezes and poor conditions. The only other bright spot is on Wednesday, August 12th, when the morning sees a 3ft swell from the east-southeast, with a period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 257 (moderate). The wind shifts to a gentle offshore from the west, which should make for clean, lined-up waves. That’s a promising session, but it’s not a huge swell. For the rest of the run, it’s mostly cross-on junk with moderate wind, so don’t plan your week around it.

Bottom line: the pick of the entire period is Saturday, August 8th, with that 5ft south-east groundswell. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only day that’ll get your heart rate up. Get out there early before the crowds stack up.

Rusty.

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