Surf Forecasts:
Little Austi and Main Beach surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, ESE swell with 131 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Little Austi and Main Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Little Austi and Main Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Little Austi and Main Beach in the next 16 days are 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Little Austi and Main Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Look, I've had a good look at the charts for Little Austi and Main Beach, and I've got to be straight with you – it's going to be a pretty quiet run. We're looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf from now, well into the end of August. The water temp's sitting at 63°F which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Starting from Thursday the 13th through to about Saturday the 15th, we're looking at tiny waves around 1.0ft to 2ft, mostly from the ENE with a short period around 9 to 10 seconds. The wave energy is weak, sitting between 20 and 55 (units), and the wind is light and cross-shore, but it's not enough to make anything worth paddling out for. It's all poor.
Come Sunday the 16th, we see a bump in swell height to 5ft from the SE, but the period is a pathetic 6 seconds, so it's all windswell junk. The combined energy jumps to 221 (units), but the wind's onshore from the SE at 12 mph, so it's messy and poor. Monday the 17th drops back to 4ft, still weak period, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, keeping it choppy.
Now, there's a little window on Wednesday the 19th in the afternoon and into Thursday the 20th morning that gets a tiny bit interesting. Waves are 4ft dropping to 3ft from the ESE, still short period around 6-7 seconds. But here's the thing – on Wednesday afternoon we get a glassy wind from the east at just 3 mph, and on Thursday morning the wind swings to a light offshore from the NNW at 6 mph. That would clean things up, but the swell is still weak. These are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions", so it's a small wave cruiser, not a standout. The combined energy on Wednesday afternoon is moderate at 135 (units), and Thursday morning just below at 99.
From the 21st to the 22nd, the surf drops further to 2-3ft, with some offshore winds from the NNW at 9 mph, keeping it clean. Not a lot of push.
Then we get into a longer run of poor conditions from the 23rd through to the 27th of August. The swell stays under 3ft, the period is short, and the wind is mostly cross-offshore or cross-onshore, with moderate to fresh breezes. On the 23rd and 24th, we even get some 16 mph winds, so it's not inviting.
The 27th and 28th are flat – almost no swell, and strong winds ramping up to 25 mph from the south. That's a complete write-off for surfing, and honestly, that kind of setup with a beach and reef break, strong winds, and small junk swell might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling.
Overall, the best we've got in this entire 16-day window is the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th and the morning of Thursday the 20th. Even then, it's marginal. No real standouts here, folks. It's just one of those quiet spells for the area. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 81 | 90 | 85 | 93 | 39 | 103 | 68 | 55 | 109 | 107 | 99 | 99 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 8:37PM1.72m | 9:19AM1.29m | 9:21PM1.63m | 10:01AM1.32m | 10:04PM1.51m | 10:42AM1.34m | 10:47PM1.35m | 11:24AM1.34m | 11:31PM1.20m | 12:07PM1.32m | 00:18AM1.05m | 12:56PM1.29m | 1:14AM0.93m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:15AM-0.02m | 3:03PM0.20m | 3:53AM0.03m | 3:52PM0.23m | 4:29AM0.10m | 4:42PM0.28m | 5:04AM0.20m | 5:34PM0.35m | 5:39AM0.29m | 6:30PM0.42m | 6:15AM0.39m | 7:35PM0.47m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 7 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | ESE 6 | S 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
408 | 116 | 219 | 108 | 165 | 17 | 17 | 130 | 93 | 199 | 141 | 93 | 76 | 103 | 68 | 55 | 109 | 107 | 99 | 99 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | S 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | S 19 | S 18 | S 18 | SSE 6 | S 18 | ENE 10 | S 9 | SE 7 | S 8 | S 11 | E 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | E 9 | NE 5 |
35 | 71 | 31 | 31 | 17 | 65 | 60 | 96 | 22 | 55 | 10 | 111 | 38 | 34 | 57 | 17 | 47 | 37 | 41 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | ENE 9 | S 18 | S 15 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 14 | ENE 10 | S 18 | ENE 10 | S 17 | — | ENE 8 | S 12 | E 9 | S 11 | ENE 6 | S 9 | S 8 | S 14 |
7 | 29 | 26 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 96 | 11 | 24 | — | 14 | 25 | 15 | 36 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 3 | — | — | — | S 8 | S 7 | E 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 6 | NE 4 |
— | 3 | — | — | — | 273 | 298 | 1 | 81 | 90 | 85 | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 128 | 1 | 65 | 50 | 1 | 50 | 76 | 13 | 13 | 121 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Little Austi and Main Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Little Austi and Main Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Little Austi and Main Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Little Austi and Main Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Little Austi and Main Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Little Austi and Main Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Illawarra? If you are looking for accommodation near Little Austi and Main Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Illawarra, consider staying in Wollongong which is 15 km (9 miles) away. Other places in and around Illawarra where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Port Kembla which is 22 km (14 miles) away, Engadine, Caringbah and Cronulla.











