Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, S swell with 384 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s 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 1.2m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for our stretch of coast.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there are some definite windows of clean surf if you’re keen to pick your moments. The first week has a few mornings that will be worth the early alarm, with the second week looking a bit more hit-and-miss, though the opening of September brings a little bit of a tease.
Right off the bat, Sunday the 23rd of August morning, Thirroul is offering up a sneaky little session. We’ve got a 3.6ft swell pushing in from the south, and with a light northerly cross-offshore breeze, it’s going to be clean. The combined energy is sitting at a moderate 215, so there’s a bit of push behind it. Water temp is 64°, which is pretty much spot on for the time of year, nothing unusual there. This is a beach and reef setup, so it can handle a bit of south swell. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so if you see a few others out, don’t be surprised.
Monday morning the 24th is another one to look at. The swell drops a touch to 2.3ft from the south, but the wind swings northerly again, keeping it clean. The energy drops a bit to 201, but for a smaller day, it’ll be fun on the right board.
The standout of the first week, without a doubt, is Thursday morning the 27th of August. The wind goes dead calm – glassy conditions – and we’ve got a solid 4.3ft south swell rolling in. The combined energy jumps up to 284, which is the strongest we see in the first few days. This is the pick of the week, no question. Clean, lined-up south swell with zero wind is hard to beat around here. Get out there if you can.
Friday the 28th morning is another glassy one, but the swell is a bit smaller at 3ft from the south, energy at 208. Still a fun little session before the wind gets messy later.
Now, looking further ahead, the start of the next week has something interesting. On Monday the 31st of August morning, we’ve got a tiny 1.6ft swell, but listen to this – the period is a massive 19 seconds, and it’s glassy. That’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy reading is actually the highest in the whole forecast at 300. Now, with a period that long, these waves can be a bit tricky on a beach break, they might stand up and close out. But if you get a peak that works, they’ll have serious push for their size. Worth a look, but be ready for some weird ones.
Then, on Tuesday the 1st of September morning, the wind goes offshore from the northwest, and we get a 2.3ft south swell with a 13-second period. Combined energy is 215. This is promising, but we’re over a week out, so treat it as a potential bonus rather than a sure thing.
The second half of that week, from the 2nd of September onward, looks pretty ordinary. Swell sizes drop right off, energy readings fall below 100 into the weak zone, and the wind is all over the shop. A couple of mornings on the 3rd and 4th have clean offshore winds, but the swell is weak and short-period. Not really worth getting excited about.
So, to sum it up: Thursday the 27th of August morning is your absolute best bet – glassy, solid south swell, and good energy. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are solid morning options too. The long-period event on the 31st of August is a wildcard, and the 1st of September has potential if it holds.
Stay frothy.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | S 6 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
161 | 134 | 158 | 90 | 67 | 94 | 109 | 96 | 133 | 106 | 115 | 349 | 234 | 118 | 302 | 127 | 122 | 145 | 116 | 133 | 92 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 4:57PM1.32m | 5:49AM0.92m | 5:45PM1.38m | 6:31AM0.99m | 6:26PM1.45m | 7:08AM1.06m | 7:04PM1.50m | 7:42AM1.13m | 7:41PM1.53m | 8:16AM1.21m | 8:16PM1.53m | 8:51AM1.27m | 8:52PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:09AM0.54m | 11:58PM0.37m | 11:07AM0.49m | 00:37AM0.30m | 11:56AM0.43m | 1:12AM0.23m | 12:39PM0.37m | 1:44AM0.17m | 1:19PM0.32m | 2:15AM0.13m | 1:59PM0.28m | 2:45AM0.11m | 2:40PM0.25m | 3:16AM0.11m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SSE 7 | S 10 | NE 6 | S 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
161 | 101 | 158 | 31 | 67 | 94 | 58 | 25 | 133 | 106 | 84 | 349 | 234 | 118 | 302 | 127 | 122 | 145 | 116 | 133 | 92 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | S 12 | ENE 9 | S 10 | S 18 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 16 | S 8 | S 11 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 |
48 | 134 | 8 | 90 | 6 | 46 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 9 | — | 55 | 41 | 41 | 70 | 61 | 44 | 36 | 40 | 46 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | — | S 18 | NE 9 | S 15 | — | ENE 10 | — | SSE 16 | S 16 | — | — | SE 15 | SSE 14 | S 14 | SSE 14 | S 8 | NE 4 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
6 | — | 6 | 3 | 5 | — | 9 | — | 25 | 5 | — | — | 9 | 38 | 66 | 20 | 33 | 4 | 20 | 8 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 5 | — | NE 6 | NE 7 | — | S 4 | S 6 | — | — | ENE 2 | — | — | — | NE 4 | SSW 4 | — | SSE 3 |
— | 6 | 17 | 77 | 55 | — | 109 | 96 | — | 12 | 115 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 8 | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 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.











