
Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with 1,681 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thirroul in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at how things are shaping up for the next couple of weeks at our local stretch.
Right off the bat, it’s a pretty quiet start. We’ve got a small pulse coming in on Saturday the 11th, but honestly, it’s nothing to get too worked up about. The best of the first week is going to be that Saturday morning session at Thirroul. We’re looking at a clean 4ft swell from the SE, and with a light northwesterly breeze keeping it glassy, the surface will be real nice. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 352. It’s a mellow, fun-sized wave, but the trade-off is that crowds are possible here, so you might have to share.
After Saturday morning, the surf just drops away. From Saturday afternoon all the way through to Tuesday the 14th, it’s basically flat or near-flat. We’re talking tiny 0.7ft to 2ft junk, with no energy to speak of – that combined energy reading plummets to single digits and low double digits. That’s a solid few days of nothing worth paddling out for. Even with clean offshore winds on Sunday, there’s just no wave.
Things take a turn on Wednesday the 15th, but not in a good way for most of us. A big southerly swell rolls in, pushing 10ft on the Wednesday morning with a combined energy of 1681, which is strong. The problem is, those onshore and cross-shore winds from the SSW are going to chop it right up. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it’s not going to be well-shaped – more of a messy, powerful wall of water. This one is strictly for experienced surfers only, and honestly, the quality is marginal. It stays big and messy through Thursday and into the weekend, with south winds keeping things choppy.
Then, we hit the real highlight. The following weekend? That’s where the magic is. Mark Sunday the 19th down. We get a clean 6ft E swell rolling in, the wind goes dead calm and glassy in the morning at Thirroul, and the combined energy is a solid 770. That’s a fun, clean wave with a bit of push.
But the absolute standout, the one you want to clear your calendar for, is Monday the 20th. The morning session is going to be incredible. You’ve got a solid 8ft E swell with a very long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy (combined energy of 1723). And with the wind going glassy again, it’s going to be clean, powerful, and the sets will have real shape. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers – that’s a big wave. The long period means you’ll have longer lulls between sets, which helps with the paddle out, but be aware at a beach/reef setup, the long period can make things a bit straight. It’ll be worth it.
After that Monday peak, we’ve got a solid week of fun, manageable surf hanging around. The Tuesday and Wednesday (21st & 22nd) are still holding 7ft to 8ft, though the cross-shore winds will add a bit of texture. By Thursday the 23rd, it drops back to a very clean 5ft E swell, and into Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th, we’re seeing clean 4ft to 6ft ESE swells with nice northwest to northwesterly offshore winds. That’s going to be clean, fun, and less intimidating than the Monday peak. The last day on the charts, Sunday the 26th, still looks good with a clean 5ft E swell and offshore winds.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a dud except for a small clean session on Saturday the 11th morning. The real action kicks off Sunday the 19th, with the best waves coming Monday the 20th morning – that’s the one to chase. The following days stay solid and clean through the end of the outlook.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | S 12 | S 11 | S 7 | S 7 | S 12 | SSW 4 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
190 | 176 | 149 | 77 | 54 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 36 | 1681 | 993 | 366 | 131 | 78 | 232 | 185 | 152 | 138 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:22PM1.60m | 6:09AM1.05m | 6:18PM1.70m | 7:10AM1.09m | 7:12PM1.77m | 8:06AM1.12m | 8:05PM1.81m | 8:57AM1.15m | 8:55PM1.80m | 9:47AM1.18m | 9:44PM1.74m | 10:35AM1.20m | 10:31PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:39AM0.31m | 00:15AM0.15m | 11:39AM0.29m | 1:13AM0.04m | 12:36PM0.27m | 2:07AM-0.03m | 1:31PM0.24m | 2:57AM-0.07m | 2:25PM0.23m | 3:45AM-0.07m | 3:17PM0.24m | 4:30AM-0.03m | 4:10PM0.28m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | S 11 | S 7 | S 7 | S 12 | E 10 | — | S 15 | S 15 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 |
190 | 109 | 149 | 77 | 54 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 2 | — | 5 | 4 | 82 | 78 | 232 | 185 | 152 | 138 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 8 | S 9 | S 12 | SE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | E 8 | S 7 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | S 18 | S 11 |
157 | 176 | 45 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 71 | 31 | 47 | 6 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 15 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | — | SW 5 | S 7 | S 7 | E 8 | — | S 15 | — | — | — | — | — | E 9 | S 12 | — | S 17 | SSE 21 |
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 48 | — | 24 | 45 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | W 4 | W 4 | W 3 | W 4 | WSW 3 | NW 2 | WNW 3 | SW 3 | SSW 4 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 7 | S 7 | — | S 7 | S 5 | S 5 | SSE 6 |
— | 2 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 1681 | 993 | 366 | 131 | — | 42 | 40 | 75 | 92 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 89 | 151 | 141 | 70 | 280 | 328 | 280 | 68 | 39 | 86 | 0 | 39 | 48 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 5 |
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.










