Thirroul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for us over the next couple of weeks.

Overall, this is a bit of a stop-start period. The next week is mostly small and choppy with tricky winds, and there’s a real lack of clean, rideable surf. Thursday morning and Friday morning have something to offer, but you’ve got to pick your moments. The second week looks more promising, especially towards the tail end, but it’s a waiting game.

We start off with not much at all. Sunday afternoon (August 9) is a write-off. Monday (August 10) has a bit of a 6ft ENE swell pushing through (497 combined swell energy), but the wind is a cross-off 19 mph and the record says 'poor surf conditions' – it'll be lumpy and uninviting, not worth the battle. Tuesday morning (August 11) drops right off, down to 2ft.

There’s a flicker of hope on Tuesday afternoon (August 11). A 4ft south swell (478 energy) with a moderate offshore wind. The report says ‘expect good surf conditions’. The period is 11 seconds, so it’s a groundswell, which will give it some push but might make it a bit walled at the beach. Still, that’s the best of the early days.

Wednesday morning (August 12) is just ordinary at 2ft, and Wednesday afternoon sees the swell drop out to 2ft.

Thursday morning (August 13) is the standout of the first week. Thirroul will be the go-to. Swell jumps to 6ft from the south (524 combined swell energy), with a light southwesterly cross-off wind. The record says 'expect very good surf conditions'. That’s a fun size for the average to strong intermediate, clean with a bit of power from the 9-second period. Thursday afternoon turns cross-onshore, so it’s a morning mission only.

Friday morning (August 14) is the other solid option. Still 5ft south-southeast swell (292 energy) but the wind goes glassy - 3 mph from the south. That’s about as clean as it gets. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weaker and more crumbly. It won't be the most powerful day, but for a clean longboard or funboard session, it’ll be hard to beat.

After Friday morning, the wind shifts onshore for most of the weekend and into the following week. The swell stays small or becomes messy. From Saturday afternoon (August 15) through to Thursday (August 20), we’re mostly dealing with weak, choppy, or onshore junk. There’s a solid gap of six or seven days where you’d be wasting your time.

Then we get a bit of a reprieve. Friday morning (August 21) sees 3ft from the east-southeast, light cross-off wind and clean. It's ordinary but at least clean. Saturday morning (August 22) has a 5ft easterly swell (500 energy) but with a north cross-off, so it could be rideable. The period is 10 seconds, and the forecast is 'marginal'.

Now, here’s where you mark your calendar. Sunday morning, August 23. This is the big one. Thirroul will see 6ft from the northeast (1054 combined swell energy - that’s strong) with a light offshore from the northwest. The record says 'excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers'. That’s a solid 6ft dump with decent power from a 9-second period. It’ll be too big and punchy for beginners, but for anyone who can handle it, that’s the cleanest, most powerful wave of the whole outlook. The energy is high, and it’s all lining up. The Sunday afternoon session is still good at 5ft, but the morning is the call.

Water temperature is sitting at 64°F with a +0.5° anomaly, so it’s pretty average for the time of year. Not cold, not warm.

Monday the 24th falls apart with a cross-onshore wind and a messy 6ft swell, so don't bother.

Thirroul is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, and the optimum swell is from the SE. It handles the south and east swells well, so those Wednesday and Thursday mornings are a solid play. Crowds can be an issue sometimes, but on the cleaner, less obvious days, you’ll have a bit more room. It’s fairly consistent, so even in the quieter spells, it tends not to stay bad forever.

If you’re not an expert, stick to the Friday morning glass-off or the Tuesday afternoon session. If you can handle it, wait for that Sunday morning.

Rusty, out.

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