
Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,700 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with NE 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 (Sep 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, checkin' in from the beach. We've got a 16-day window for Thirroul, and I've gotta be straight with ya—it's a bit of a mixed bag. The biggest waves are coming at a cost with strong winds, so we've gotta hunt for the sweet spots.
The water temp is sittin' at a pretty standard 64°F for this time of year, no surprises there. The next few days are pretty bleak. Sunday and Monday are just small and messy with cross-shore winds. Tuesday drops off into tiny, weak swell with energy at just 65 (weak), so nothin' doin'.
We see a big pulse of swell building through Wednesday the 16th, but it's got a nasty side. Wednesday morning sees about 8 ft swell from the S, but it's blastin' with a 19 mph SSW cross-wind, and the energy is huge at 1212 (moderate-strong). By the arvo it's 12 ft from the S with a 22 mph S cross-wind and energy at 2337 (strong). That's big, expert-only territory. The wave state is a lumpy cross-chop, so honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Thursday the 17th stays big and bumpy, with about 10 ft swell from the SSE. The wind is still a 16 mph cross-wind in the morning. The combined energy is 1628 (strong). The surface is lumpy with a cross-chop. Not your clean, classic day at the points.
Now, here's where we get excited. Friday the 18th of September is a standout. The wind drops right out, goin' glassy by the morning with that beautiful NW 3 mph. The swell comes in at about 4 ft from the ESE with a 10-second period. That's a nice, long-period groundswell that'll wrap in. The energy is 469 (moderate). It's clean, it's tidy, and breaks like Thirroul love that ESE direction. There might be a few other crew out (crowds are possible), but for the quality on offer, it's worth it. Add to that a 'glassed' surface and a good-swell comment—this is your best bet in the whole forecast.
Saturday the 19th holds the promise too, with another glassy morning. Swell drops a touch to about 3 ft from the ESE, still with that 11-second period. Winds are a light SW 3 mph. Energy is 371 (moderate). A tidy, clean option for a cruisy session.
After that, we hit a real dry spell. From Sunday the 20th all the way through to Sunday the 27th, it's a long run of poor or marginal conditions. Swell does pick up to about 5 ft on the 27th, but it's a short-period 6-second S swell with cross-winds. The energy is 280 (moderate), but it's just not clean. There are days of 5 ft and 5 ft swell, but it's onshore and choppy. Monday the 28th finishes the window with a 6 ft onshore slop from the SSE in strong winds. Not worth paddlin' out.
So, to wrap it up: the standout session is Friday the 18th morning, with Saturday the 19th morning as a nice follow-up. The middle of next week is bombs for the experts only, and after that, we're in a long quiet spell. Keep your eyes on those two glassy mornings, they're the real deal.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the S by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed morning, calm by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SSE 10 | NE 6 | S 11 | S 10 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
141 | 106 | 132 | 85 | 80 | 78 | 47 | 29 | 1254 | 1190 | 2337 | 2316 | 1618 | 1328 | 500 | 267 | 328 | 302 | 176 | 81 | 57 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross | off |
High Tide | 9:37PM1.35m | 9:59AM1.44m | 10:18PM1.22m | 10:37AM1.41m | 11:00PM1.09m | 11:17AM1.36m | 11:46PM0.98m | 12:02PM1.30m | 00:43AM0.90m | 12:58PM1.25m | 1:57AM0.85m | 2:06PM1.22m | 3:21AM0.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:33PM0.18m | 3:42AM0.20m | 4:18PM0.23m | 4:14AM0.28m | 5:05PM0.29m | 4:47AM0.37m | 5:56PM0.37m | 5:23AM0.46m | 6:56PM0.43m | 6:08AM0.53m | 8:07PM0.47m | 7:08AM0.59m | 9:23PM0.47m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 20 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 22 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | S 10 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | S 6 | NE 7 | ENE 14 | — | ENE 13 | E 13 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 10 | S 9 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 9 | S 9 |
141 | 106 | 71 | 54 | 80 | 78 | 47 | 23 | 7 | 20 | — | 17 | 3 | 1037 | 500 | 267 | 258 | 302 | 176 | 81 | 57 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ENE 13 | S 10 | S 11 | ENE 13 | SSE 10 | S 9 | NE 7 | E 14 | NE 7 | — | — | NE 13 | E 13 | NE 13 | S 8 | ESE 11 | S 9 | S 9 | ESE 10 | SE 8 |
12 | 17 | 104 | 85 | 17 | 31 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 6 | 196 | 328 | 137 | 97 | 81 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | — | E 13 | E 13 | S 15 | E 12 | E 12 | S 9 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | S 19 | E 13 | S 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | ENE 4 |
26 | — | 13 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 13 | 6 | 30 | 87 | 98 | 28 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | — | SW 3 | ESE 3 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — |
27 | 43 | 132 | — | 51 | — | 2 | 7 | 1254 | 1190 | 2337 | 2316 | 1618 | 1328 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 5 | 860 | 658 | 118 | 86 | 118 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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.










