
Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, ENE swell with 186 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thirroul this week:
The surf forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thirroul in the next 16 days are 1.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s heading our way over the next couple of weeks at Thirroul.
Honestly, for the first week or so, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and generally uninspiring surf. From Tuesday the 4th right through to the 12th, the swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with short periods and almost no energy – the combined swell energy is mostly in the double digits, which is a real red flag. It’s just not worth getting the wetsuit on for that. The highlight of that first week is a brief moment on Saturday the 8th with glassy conditions, but the swell is still only 2ft, so it’s more of a fun paddle than a surf. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there.
Now, the real shift happens around Thursday the 13th of August. The swell finally turns on, with a solid S swell pushing 10ft on the Thursday morning, and the combined energy hits a massive 1802. That’s proper juice. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s a decent groundswell, but it’s coming in with a cross-shore wind, which will chop it up a bit. It’s big though – over 10ft – so this is strictly for the experienced crew. Beginners, stay out of the water that day. The swell eases a bit by Friday the 14th, with 8ft from the SSE, but still with cross-shore winds, so it’s not going to be perfect. Saturday the 15th drops to 5ft, still a bit bumpy.
The standout session in this whole run looks like Tuesday the 18th of August. The morning brings a clean 4ft swell from the ESE with a 10-second period, light offshore wind from the SW, and the combined energy is a solid 346. Expect good surf conditions. That’s your best bet for a clean, fun, manageable wave. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and the wind is right. The crowd situation at Thirroul is sometimes busy, so get in early if you can.
For the rest of the second week, the swell hangs around 3ft to 4ft, but the winds tend to be cross or cross-on, which keeps it a bit ordinary. Not a total write-off, but nothing that screams “drop everything and go.”
So, overall, a slow start, then a big pulse of size for the experienced, with a clean window on the 18th being the true pick of the bunch.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSE 10 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
15 | 10 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 28 | 58 | 72 | 53 | 86 | 58 | 48 | 64 | 43 | 34 | 19 | 119 | 183 | 148 | 105 | 76 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:03PM1.29m | 00:01AM1.20m | 12:53PM1.32m | 1:01AM1.09m | 1:52PM1.36m | 2:15AM1.00m | 2:58PM1.41m | 3:39AM0.97m | 4:05PM1.49m | 4:58AM0.98m | 5:10PM1.58m | 6:05AM1.04m | 6:08PM1.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:07PM0.41m | 6:19AM0.25m | 7:13PM0.42m | 7:08AM0.31m | 8:30PM0.40m | 8:07AM0.36m | 9:51PM0.34m | 9:16AM0.39m | 11:05PM0.25m | 10:26AM0.38m | 00:08AM0.14m | 11:31AM0.33m | 1:02AM0.05m | ||||||||
6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 5 | ESE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 | SSE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 |
15 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 28 | 58 | 72 | 53 | 86 | 58 | 34 | 64 | 43 | 34 | 18 | 119 | 183 | 148 | 105 | 76 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | E 7 | S 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 10 | ENE 6 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 7 | NE 4 | E 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | ENE 9 |
5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 38 | 4 | 38 | 48 | 32 | 23 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 75 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ESE 7 | S 5 | SE 12 | S 4 | S 4 | E 12 | E 12 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 10 | E 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | S 12 | E 13 |
1 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | — | W 3 | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | NNE 4 | NE 6 | N 3 | WNW 4 | W 4 | — | WSW 3 |
3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 34 | 10 | — | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 68 | 656 | 212 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 83 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Illawarra | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thirroul Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thirroul provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thirroul can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thirroul 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 (Thirroul) 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 Thirroul 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 Thirroul, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Illawarra, consider staying in Wollongong which is 12 km (7 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 19 km (12 miles) away, Engadine, Cronulla and Caringbah.











