
Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, S swell with 838 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with SE 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 2.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.
First up, the water temp at Thirroul is sitting at 64°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We’re looking at a pretty grim run for the next week or so, honestly. The first few days have tiny swell and just not enough to get excited about. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are a write-off, so don’t bother. There is a bit of a window on Sunday the 9th morning with a 3ft swell from the ENE, period of 8 seconds, and a cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The combined energy is only 121 (moderate), but it’s clean. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Sunday afternoon is similar with a touch more size at 3ft.
Monday the 10th morning sees a 5ft ENE swell, but with a big 35 km/h cross-off wind, it’s going to be messy and blown out. No good. Monday afternoon is better, with a 4ft NE swell, a solid offshore wind from the W at 25 km/h, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (197) and it’s surfable, but again, it’s not a standout.
Tuesday the 11th has tiny surf, mostly below 2ft, so not worth paddling out for.
The best chance in this whole 16-day window looks like Thursday the 13th afternoon. There’s a 7ft S swell with a 10-second period, moderate energy (848), and a gentle cross-shore breeze from the SSW. The forecast says “marginal,” but at 7ft this is really only for experienced surfers. It’s a bit of a gamble on tide, but it’s the biggest pulse we see.
Then Friday the 14th morning is the real standout. You’ve got a 5ft S swell, period 10 seconds, energy at 541 (moderate), and a light W cross-off breeze at 10 km/h. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the one to aim for. The swell direction is from the S, which is a good match for the optimum SE direction at Thirroul, so it should wrap in nicely. The crowds can be around sometimes, so get in early.
After that, it drops off again. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th have some size but the wind is cross or cross-on, chopping it up. By Monday the 17th, the swell is tiny again.
The second week, from the 18th onwards, is mostly small, poor quality, and onshore. A few clean moments on the 21st and 22nd, but with swell under 3ft, it’s not worth getting excited about.
So, to wrap it up: the standout is Friday the 14th morning. Thursday the 13th afternoon is the biggest, but it’s trickier. The rest is mostly small and ordinary.
Stay keen,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Tue night, strong winds from the W by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 | SSE 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
54 | 56 | 48 | 46 | 34 | 48 | 89 | 158 | 220 | 354 | 194 | 55 | 42 | 50 | 112 | 65 | 38 | 38 | 19 | 838 | 644 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:58PM1.41m | 3:39AM0.97m | 4:05PM1.49m | 4:58AM0.98m | 5:10PM1.58m | 6:05AM1.04m | 6:08PM1.67m | 7:01AM1.10m | 7:01PM1.73m | 7:50AM1.17m | 7:50PM1.75m | 8:36AM1.23m | 8:37PM1.72m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:51PM0.34m | 9:16AM0.39m | 11:05PM0.25m | 10:26AM0.38m | 00:08AM0.14m | 11:31AM0.33m | 1:02AM0.05m | 12:29PM0.28m | 1:50AM-0.01m | 1:23PM0.23m | 2:34AM-0.04m | 2:14PM0.20m | 3:15AM-0.02m | ||||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 8 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
54 | 56 | 48 | 46 | 34 | 48 | 89 | 158 | 94 | 354 | 194 | 55 | 42 | 30 | 112 | 65 | 38 | 38 | 19 | 838 | 644 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 7 | SSE 8 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | E 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | S 8 | — | ENE 10 | ENE 11 |
36 | 21 | 48 | 31 | 15 | 14 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 38 | 38 | 5 | — | 10 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 9 | S 6 | SSE 8 | E 14 | SE 9 | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 12 | — | — | NE 7 | — | S 16 | — | — |
6 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 4 | 50 | — | — | 21 | — | 5 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | SE 2 | — | — | — | NE 4 | NNW 2 | N 3 | NE 7 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | — | — | N 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | SW 6 | — | WSW 3 |
1 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 3 | 220 | 33 | 25 | 12 | 8 | — | — | 31 | 25 | 97 | 157 | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 173 | 338 | 118 | 7 | 0 |
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.











