
Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 2,507 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Thursday (Sep 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s 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 Friday (Sep 18) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| 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.
Look, the next couple of weeks are pretty average for Thirroul. We’ve got a bit of swell pushing through, but it’s mostly messy, and the winds are going to be a pain in the backside for most of it. It’s not all bad news though, there’s one real window where it cleans up and might be worth a paddle.
Right now, Wednesday the 16th is a write-off. There’s a decent 10ft of south swell, but that’s ridden by a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore wind. The water’s at 65°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no dramas there, but the surface is going to be lumpy and ugly. Not worth your time.
Thursday the 17th is a bit better, with the swell dropping to 8ft, but it’s still cross-shore and a bit lumpy. It’s more of a look-and-see day, but don’t expect much. The energy is moderate, sitting around 930.
Now, Friday the 18th is our standout. The wind drops out completely, going glassy in the morning with that 5ft SSE swell at a 9-second period. This is your best bet of the whole run – clean, smooth, and head-high-ish. It’s still a beach and reef setup, so the long period might make it a bit straight in places, but with those conditions, it’ll be the pick of the bunch. Definitely get out there early. The energy is moderate at 400.
After that, things fade out fast. Saturday and Sunday have tiny surf, under 3ft, and while the winds are light and glassy at times, it’s just too small to get excited about. The energy is weak, down around 97-188.
Then we hit a poor stretch from Monday the 21st through to early next week. The swell picks up again, but the winds turn onshore and cross-onshore, making a mess of it. Monday afternoon has 5ft but with a moderate cross-onshore, it’s chop city. Tuesday is the same story, with 6ft but poor quality. This stretch is best left alone. You’d almost have more fun watching the kites out there than fighting this slop.
The middle of next week, the 24th, is more of the same – onshore winds and poor conditions, with only small, weak swell. The 25th and 26th have some rain and fresh breezes, but it’s still messy and the swell direction swings around to the ENE and NE, which isn’t ideal for this spot.
The one other bright spot comes on Wednesday the 30th. It’s not big, only 4ft, but the wind goes offshore, and it’s clean. The swell is from the NE with a short 7-second period, so it’ll be a bit lumpy but rideable. Still, it’s not a patch on the Friday the 18th. The energy is weak at 218.
So, plain and simple: if you’re only surfing once in the next two weeks, make it Friday morning, the 18th. The rest is pretty ordinary. I’ve seen worse, but I’ve seen a lot better too.
Stay salty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 8 | SSE 18 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1818 | 1643 | 2364 | 920 | 572 | 349 | 333 | 271 | 110 | 81 | 63 | 90 | 108 | 113 | 70 | 132 | 324 | 245 | 332 | 163 | 205 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:17AM1.36m | 11:46PM0.98m | 12:02PM1.30m | 00:43AM0.90m | 12:58PM1.25m | 1:57AM0.85m | 2:06PM1.22m | 3:21AM0.85m | 3:17PM1.23m | 4:28AM0.90m | 4:18PM1.27m | 5:18AM0.97m | 5:08PM1.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:56PM0.37m | 5:23AM0.46m | 6:56PM0.43m | 6:08AM0.53m | 8:07PM0.47m | 7:08AM0.59m | 9:23PM0.47m | 8:26AM0.60m | 10:27PM0.42m | 9:42AM0.57m | 11:15PM0.36m | 10:42AM0.51m | 11:53PM0.29m | ||||||||
5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 27 | 26 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 19 | 19 | 13 | 25 | 24 | 15 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 14 | NE 12 | E 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 18 | S 8 | S 7 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 8 | S 11 | E 11 | S 8 | SSE 8 |
20 | 6 | 3 | 920 | 572 | 349 | 333 | 271 | 110 | 81 | 63 | 6 | 108 | 35 | 70 | 132 | 324 | 89 | 2 | 116 | 181 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 15 | S 18 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SE 7 | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 | NE 4 | NE 4 | S 15 | S 19 | SSE 11 | SSE 19 |
— | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 64 | 58 | 53 | 57 | 29 | 2 | 76 | 113 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 39 | 205 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 13 | S 19 | S 19 | E 13 | E 12 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | E 12 | E 4 | S 11 | NE 4 | E 11 | E 11 | — | NE 11 | SSE 19 | SSE 10 |
— | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 5 | 71 | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | WNW 2 | — | NE 4 | S 10 | — | ENE 3 | NNE 4 | SSE 4 | — | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | — |
1818 | 1643 | 2364 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 90 | — | 2 | 5 | 32 | — | 245 | 332 | 163 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 658 | 658 | 39 | 5 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 118 | 36 | 86 | 86 | 5 |
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.










