Surf Forecasts:
Little Austi and Main Beach surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, E swell with 189 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s 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 7s 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 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Little Austi and Main Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest, looking at this stretch, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating run for us. There’s nothing that’s going to get the heart pumping for the next week and a half, so if you’re itching for a wave, you’d better be prepared to work for a scrappy one or just wait it out. The water’s sitting at a normal 63.7°F for this time of year, so nothing weird there, just a lack of any real push.
The first real chance of anything rideable comes Tuesday, August 18th. It’s not good, but it’s something. We’re looking at small 3ft surf from the ESE, and the wind is forecast to be glassy in the morning. The energy is weak, only about 78 combined, so it’s going to be fat and slow. It’s surfable, but you’d be scratching for anything decent. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s just messy windswell. Later in the day, the wind swings onshore and chops it right up.
Wednesday the 19th looks a touch cleaner, with a light NNW offshore wind and a glassy surface, but the swell is even smaller at 2ft. The period bumps up to 10 seconds, giving it a bit more shape, and energy is moderate at 158, but the size just isn’t there. It’s a log or a funboard day for sure, not a shortboard. The NE cross-off in the afternoon will keep it clean, but again, tiny.
The rest of the week into the weekend continues in the same vein. We get some clean-ish windows with offshore or cross-off winds on Friday the 21st, but we’re still staring at dribbly 3ft surf, if that. The period is short and the energy is weak. It’s a lot of paddling for not much reward. Then the wind turns ugly on Saturday the 22nd, with a strong SW cross-onshore blowing out the tiny swell, making it a complete mess.
Sunday the 23rd through to the next weekend is where it gets properly bleak. The swell drops to nothing, with periods of glassy conditions but just ankle-snappers that are completely unsurfable. There are long gaps of several days here where it's just flat. Honestly, if you’ve got a kite, the beach setup might be more interesting than a surfboard. From the 24th to the 27th, the swell is non-existent and the wind is messy.
Okay, but hold on. There is a little pulse of something as we head towards the end of the month. On Wednesday the 26th of August, we see a bump in energy, jumping to 666, with a stronger 6ft swell from the SSE. That’s a significant jump in power compared to everything else. It’s still a little cross-shore and the period is a short 9 seconds, but it’s the only time in the whole outlook where there's some actual size and push. The wind is a cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but this is the standout window, even if it’s only marginal. The following morning, Thursday the 27th, still has some energy at 244 with 3ft, with a longer 11 second period, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy.
So, there you have it. The 26th is the one to keep an eye on as the only real pulse of size, but it’s far from perfect. Beyond that, we’re in a dry spell.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 9 | ESE 7 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
156 | 80 | 62 | 99 | 76 | 88 | 68 | 77 | 100 | 80 | 64 | 158 | 50 | 54 | 107 | 80 | 66 | 65 | 107 | 67 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 10:42AM1.34m | 10:47PM1.35m | 11:24AM1.34m | 11:31PM1.20m | 12:07PM1.32m | 00:18AM1.05m | 12:56PM1.29m | 1:14AM0.93m | 1:51PM1.26m | 2:26AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:47AM0.84m | 4:00PM1.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:42PM0.28m | 5:04AM0.20m | 5:34PM0.35m | 5:39AM0.29m | 6:30PM0.42m | 6:15AM0.39m | 7:35PM0.47m | 6:58AM0.47m | 8:49PM0.50m | 7:53AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:01AM0.55m | 11:09PM0.43m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 7 | ESE 6 | S 9 | S 9 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 9 | ESE 7 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | S 9 |
37 | 93 | 62 | 109 | 74 | 88 | 68 | 77 | 58 | 78 | 64 | 158 | 50 | 54 | 107 | 80 | 66 | 65 | 107 | 67 | 529 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 18 | S 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | NE 5 | E 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SE 9 | S 18 | NE 7 |
96 | 56 | 172 | 10 | 17 | 35 | 56 | 55 | 100 | 80 | 52 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 12 | ENE 9 | S 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | — | E 12 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | — | S 21 |
27 | 20 | 10 | 52 | 17 | 24 | 10 | 70 | 45 | 22 | 12 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | ESE 6 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | NE 4 | NE 6 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | SSW 4 | S 8 | — |
156 | 80 | — | 99 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 13 | 128 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 577 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 50 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











