Surf Forecasts:
Little Austi and Main Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, NE swell with 194 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with NE 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Little Austi and Main Beach in the next 16 days are 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Little Austi and Main Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get this straight. This forecast covers Little Austi and Main Beach (a beach and reef setup). It’s a 16-day window, but honestly, most of it looks more like a waiting game than a surf trip.
We kick off with Wednesday, 19th August. There's some tiny swell. Morning sees a measly 2ft of ESE swell (149 energy). The wind is a light NNE breeze, cross-offshore, keeping it clean. Water temp is 64°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. It’s surfable, but it’s small and uninspiring. Afternoon picks up a bit to 3ft NE, but the winds get up to 12 mph and go cross-shore. It gets choppy and messy. Not the kind of session that gets the heart racing.
Thursday 20th is a write-off. The swell drops to 3ft from the NE, but it's a short period (6 seconds) and the combined energy is weak (92). Wind stays light, but it's cross-shore. You'll be scratching around for scraps.
Friday 21st sees a slight improvement. The morning has 3ft from the ENE (76 energy) and a light offshore from the WNW. It’s clean, but it’s small and short period. It’s the best of the early days, but that’s like calling the smallest wave in the set the “best.” Still, if you had to, Friday morning is your only real shot in this first week.
From Saturday 22nd through to Monday 31st August, it gets bleak. We’re looking at swell heights that rarely break 2ft, and more often than not they're below 2ft. The combined energy drops into single or low double digits. There’s a day with glassy conditions on Saturday morning (2ft, SSW, 24 energy) but it’s just too small to do anything. A whole long stretch of nothing, really. The winds are all over the place, but the swell just isn't there.
The light at the end of the tunnel, and the only true standout, arrives on Tuesday morning, 1st September. That’s when the swell comes up to a clean 4ft from the SE (252 energy) with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is light from the NNW, cross-offshore. It’s clean, it’s got some energy, and it’s the only “good” surf conditions in the whole run. This is your one to aim for. It’s still a beach-and-reef setup, so that longer period will push through with some shape. Just keep in mind that by the afternoon the wind shifts and it gets messy again.
Wednesday 2nd September morning holds a bit of that energy with 4ft SSE swell (210 energy) but the wind is cross-shore, making it marginal. After that, it fades back to small stuff through the rest of the outlook.
So, bottom line: This is a poor run for Little Austi. There are huge gaps with no real surf. You’re basically waiting 13 days for that Tuesday morning, 1st September. If you can make that, you might get a fun little session. Otherwise, it’s a skunk.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | ESE 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 5 | SSE 5 | ESE 4 | NE 6 | ENE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
82 | 117 | 92 | 47 | 52 | 113 | 76 | 47 | 23 | 13 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 60 | 25 | 69 | 64 | 150 | 189 | 82 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:56PM1.29m | 1:14AM0.93m | 1:51PM1.26m | 2:26AM0.86m | 2:55PM1.25m | 3:47AM0.84m | 4:00PM1.27m | 4:57AM0.87m | 4:57PM1.32m | 5:49AM0.92m | 5:45PM1.38m | 6:31AM0.99m | 6:26PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:35PM0.47m | 6:58AM0.47m | 8:49PM0.50m | 7:53AM0.53m | 10:06PM0.48m | 9:01AM0.55m | 11:09PM0.43m | 10:09AM0.54m | 11:58PM0.37m | 11:07AM0.49m | 00:37AM0.30m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:12AM0.23m | ||||||||
6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 14 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | NE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ESE 4 | S 8 | S 8 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | S 9 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | S 6 |
67 | 117 | 64 | 47 | 16 | 113 | 76 | 47 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 32 | 43 | 60 | 25 | 26 | 64 | 150 | 189 | 75 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | S 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 10 | S 12 | S 11 | SE 7 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 5 | E 4 | S 16 | S 8 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | NE 8 |
82 | 12 | 2 | 43 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 25 | 13 | 17 | 82 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 15 | — | E 11 | — | — | — | S 11 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 20 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | E 13 | NE 9 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 |
19 | 4 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 5 | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | — | — | NW 3 | — | SSW 5 | SSE 5 | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 5 | — | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 4 | — | WSW 3 |
— | 56 | 92 | — | 52 | — | — | 2 | — | 13 | 24 | — | — | 16 | 87 | — | 69 | 96 | 41 | — | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 438 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 208 | 41 | 330 | 65 | 1 | 243 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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.











