Thirroul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for Thirroul is a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a serious payoff if you’re willing to wait. The first week or so is pretty ordinary, with small, weak swells and not much to get excited about. Then, around the 9th of September, things properly turn on. We’ve got a solid run of serious swell and good conditions coming, but it’s mostly for experienced surfers.

Right now, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Starting Tuesday the 1st of September, we’ve got small 3ft swell from the S with a 10-second period, and it’s cross-offshore with a light breeze. The combined energy is only 174, so it’s weak. The water is 64°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. Nothing to rush for. Wednesday and Thursday are even smaller, with swell dropping to 2ft-2ft and energy falling into the double digits. The wind is mostly cross-off, but the waves are just too small and weak to bother with.

Friday the 4th sees a slight uptick with 3ft swell from the S, and the wind goes offshore—light from the NW—so it’s clean. Still, the energy is only 144, so it’s marginal. Saturday looks even worse, with a strong 35 km/h W wind making a mess of things. You’d be better off staying home.

Then comes Sunday the 6th of September. The morning is the standout of the first week. We get a 4ft swell from the S with a 10-second period, and it’s glassy—absolutely flat calm with a light E breeze. The combined energy jumps to 335, which is moderate. The waves will be clean and fun for a shortboard. It’s not huge, but it’s the best you’ll see until the big stuff arrives. The afternoon gets choppy with a cross-on wind, so get out early.

Monday the 7th through to Wednesday the 9th morning is a mixed bag of cross-shore winds and small to moderate swell. Nothing special, but the swell starts to build.

Now, here’s where it gets real. Wednesday the 9th of September afternoon is a game-changer. We’ve got a 10ft swell from the S with an 11-second period, the wind is fresh offshore from the W at 20 km/h, and the combined energy is a massive 3057. That’s very strong energy. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers only—over 8ft is expert territory. The offshore wind will keep it clean, and the longer period means proper groundswell lines. This is the best on offer in the whole outlook.

Thursday the 10th is still big, with a 13ft swell from the S in the morning, but the wind is cross-off and a bit stronger. Friday the 11th might be the pick of the big wave days. We’ve got a 10ft swell from the SSE with a very long 13-second period, the wind is light offshore, and the energy is 3070. The morning is clean, and the afternoon goes glassy with a SW breeze. These are dream conditions for a point break or reef, but Thirroul is a beach and reef setup, so that long period might make it a bit straight at the beach. Still, for experts, it’s going to be a session to remember.

Saturday the 12th gets messy with a strong 30 km/h SSW cross-shore wind and a 12ft swell. The energy is 4257, the highest in the forecast, but the wind will chop it up. Not ideal for surfing—looks more interesting for kite surfing if you’re into that.

The second week settles down. Sunday the 13th is still lumpy, but Monday the 14th morning is a good one. We get a 5ft swell from the ESE with an 11-second period, glassy conditions, and energy of 564. That’s clean, moderate, and fun for all levels. Tuesday the 15th afternoon also looks very good with a 6ft swell from the S, glassy, and 626 energy.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly flat and weak. The best surf is the big swell window from Wednesday the 9th to Friday the 11th of September, but it’s for experts only. The glassy morning on Sunday the 6th and the clean, moderate swell on Monday the 14th are the best bets for the average surfer. Don’t hold your breath for the first few days, but the second week has some real gems.

Rusty.

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