Surf spot

Coolum Beach

Forecast conditions and map view for Coolum Beach in Australia, QLD, Sunshine Coast. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Australia, QLD, Sunshine Coast
Coordinates: -26.5257, 153.0934

Metric
Metric	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00
Wave height (m)	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2	1	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	1	0.9	0.8	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.8	1.3	1.5	0.9	0.9	0.6	0.8	0.9	1.1	1.1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	ESE	E	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	ENE	E	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	5.7	5.5	5.5	5.5	6	5.5	5	5.2	5	4.9	4.9	5	5	5.3	4.7	4.8	5	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.7	4.8	4.7	4.7	4.9	5	4.9	5	5.2	5.3	5.2	5	5	5	5.3	5.7	5.7	6.1	7.7	8.4	6.8	6.2	6	6	7.6	6.3	6.2	5.5	5.1	5.1	5	4.9	4.8	5	5.1
Wave energy (kJ)	95	89	84	93	71	46	53	41	36	29	28	29	43	51	33	33	55	51	49	44	39	33	30	27	23	21	22	22	22	23	23	22	21	22	21	19	19	18	20	30	82	164	170	63	56	36	53	61	71	58	50	39	36	29	27	25
Wind speed (km/h)	9	10.1	9.5	13	12.7	10.5	6.1	4.5	5.4	7.7	8.9	12.5	14	12.1	6.6	5	5.6	6	6.6	9.5	10.9	8.7	2.3	4.3	5.2	4.3	3.7	7.4	13	10.7	6.7	6.9	7.3	6.8	7.3	13	20.1	19.7	21.6	22.4	18.7	11.8	9.7	17	20.7	19.5	22	17.3	14.1	8.8	10.1	11.5	18.2	16.5	11.5	9
Wind direction	SSECross	SCross-off	SCross-off	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SCross-off	SSWGlassy	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SCross	SCross-off	SWOffshore	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SEGlassy	WGlassy	WSWOffshore	WGlassy	WGlassy	NEOnshore	NEOnshore	NNECross-on	NNWCross	NWCross-off	NNWCross	NNWCross	WNWCross-off	SCross-off	SECross-on	SSECross	SSECross	SCross	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSECross	SECross	SSECross	SSECross	SCross-off	SCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SCross-off	SSECross	SSECross	SCross-off	SCross-off

Coolum Beach is a popular surf spot on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, about halfway between Noosa and Maroochydore. It’s a broad, open beach with reliable surf at times, but it can be quite changeable depending on swell, wind, and sand movement.

Surf character

Beach break: The main waves break over sand, so the peaks can shift along the beach.
Best in a decent easterly or southeasterly swell: It tends to pick up swell from the Coral Sea and can offer fun, punchy beach breaks when conditions line up.
Can be inconsistent: Like many beach breaks, it depends a lot on sandbanks, so some days it’s great and other days a bit soft or messy.
Works best with light offshore winds: Westerly or southwesterly winds generally clean it up.

Wave quality

On the right day, Coolum can offer fast, fun, hollow sections and some rippable peaks.
Smaller days are often better for longboarders and learners, while bigger swells can make it more challenging and powerful.
After storms or strong swells, the sandbanks can change quickly, altering the wave quality.

Crowd and vibe

Coolum is a busy local beach with a friendly surf culture.
It can get crowded on good days, especially when the sandbanks are working well.
The atmosphere is generally relaxed, with a mix of surfers, bodyboarders, and families on the beach.

Other notes

There are patrolled areas and typical beach conditions, but strong rips can occur, especially after bigger swell events.
It’s best to check local surf reports, tide charts, and wind forecasts before heading out.