Mooloolaba Beach is a curving, north-east to north facing beach lying in the sheltered side of Point Cartwright. The low rocks of the point form the northern boundary, with the Mooloolaba Harbour entrance wall at the eastern end. The beach is backed by a continuous foreshore reserve which, toward the northern end, is the site of the Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club, a beachfront caravan park and a large car park. A road runs behind the reserve and provides access points along the beach. On the south side of the road are a number of facilities servicing the boating activities on Mooloolaba Harbour.

The beach receives waves reduced in height by Point Cartwright. They average 0.5 to 1m at the surf life saving club, dropping down to less than 0.5m by the harbour entrance. The beach changes accordingly, with a shallow, attached bar in front of the club house that is only cut by rips during and following higher seas, while at other times it is continuous with no rips. This bar narrows and finally disappears toward the harbour wall, where usually low waves surge up the beach.

Rips will form when waves exceed 1m and there is a permanent rip against the northern rocks.