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Aaron Purchase's beach report: What to expect for the last weekend of summer

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Conditions should be good for a visit to the beach on the last weekend of summer – but surfers should get in early when the winds are lightest.

Temperatures are predicted to hit a top of 30C both Saturday and Sunday and there is only the slightest chance of a shower.

There’s been about 1m of swell around most of the week and that’s expected to continue with fun-sized 1-2 foot waves from the east predicted on most forecast models.

Winds will be easterly and light early, but may stiffen and turn ENE through the day.

The beach breaks from Dicky Beach to Wurtulla and Alex to Maroochydore may have a slight crinkle but will be worth a look, with Kings Beach and Happy Valley offering smaller but cleaner waves. The pocket at Kawana will also offer some protection if the wind turns more NE.

Swimmers will have the pick of the beaches, but may have to keep an eye out for bluebottles as there have been a couple showing up over the last day or so.

Kings Beach will offer smaller but cleaner conditions. Picture: Peter Hall

High tides are around mid morning so conditions early in the morning will be the pick but also later in the afternoon after the tide has bottomed out and started coming back in.

Once again the UV is expected to be the extreme range so make sure you bring the sunscreen.

It’s another weekend with plenty of surf lifesaving action at Mooloolaba beach.

Saturday brings the Sunshine Coast Championships, which is one of the last major lead-up events before the State Championships in March on the Gold Coast and Aussies back here on the Sunshine Coast in April.

It will be a big day on the beach with the full suite of lifesaving events on the program. Best of luck to all the competitors!

A local Sunshine Coast business MAXTRAX is donating a significant amount of its products to SLSQ services across Queensland.

The generous donation is worth thousands of dollars and ensures our lifeguard services have a vital piece of equipment to enable them to move around the beach easily.

MAXTRAX are not only used on the beach by our 4WD and ATVs, but also used under the wheels of jet ski trailers to ensure they can be launched quickly and efficiently into the water. Thanks MAXTRAX!

As always make sure you only swim between the flags!

Aaron Purchase is Surf Life Saving Queensland’s regional manager for the Sunshine Coast. His column in sunshinecoastnews.com.au appears each Friday to keep the community informed of what’s happening on the beach and how to stay safe in the water.

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