Noosa (First Point) Alert Guide

Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia · part of the Noosa (First Point) spot guide

Noosa is forecast-only — no NDBC buoy near Australia — so this is a model-swell alert against the regional Queensland wave-riders. The threshold is set high because the north-facing points soften raw swell, and the height below is open-ocean, typically well above the breaking face.

The forecaster's checklist

1. 1.Ask the first question: is there a Coral Sea cyclone, ex-cyclone or a strong east-northeast fetch? No east or northeast energy usually means no real points swell.
2. 2.Want swell from the east to east-northeast (about 55–70°); if it is only south-southeast, ask whether it is big and long-period enough to wrap the headland.
3. 3.Look for period of 10 seconds or more — long period wraps into the sheltered points, short windswell dies at the headland.
4. 4.Score a south-southeast-to-southwest offshore wind (cyclone lows deliver it); the northeast sea breeze after mid-morning ruins it, so surf the dawn.
5. 5.Pick the point — the outer points (Granite, Tea Tree) for more size, First Point and Johnsons for the smallest, cleanest, most crowded log walls.

Local winds & tide

Best wind: SSE–SW offshore (the clean cyclone wind) — from 180° to 260° (S–W).

The rocky points fish best on low-to-mid tide (Tea Tree and National Park especially, to steepen the wall and cover rocks); First Point’s sandier inside is more tide-forgiving.

Dial it in