Surf Forecasts:
Thirroul surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, SSE swell with 463 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m 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 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thirroul over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks for Thirroul. It ain’t a non-stop party, but there’s a couple of clear windows worth your time.
The start of the run is a bit average, with a lot of side-shore breeze and not much quality on offer. The water is about 64°, which is normal for the season.
Your absolute best bet is the morning of Thursday, the 27th of August. We’ve got flat calm, glassy conditions and a 5ft swell out of the south. The combined energy is strong at 365 (moderate to strong). That S swell has some grunt, and with a glassy surface, Thirroul’s beach and reef setup will be clean and fun. The swell direction is a little off from the ideal SE, but glassy wins every time. Just a heads up, at 5ft it’s a bit too much for beginners.
The second pick is the morning of Friday the 28th. A clean, side-offshore breeze with a 3ft SSE swell, period around 10 seconds, and combined energy of 224 (moderate). It’s smaller, but clean and user-friendly.
Saturday morning the 29th bumps up to a 6ft SSE swell, but with a cross-on breeze, it’s going to be messier and less appealing than the pristine Thursday.
After that, the well dries up. From the 30th of August right through the first week of September, we’re looking at days of tiny, weak surf, mostly waist-high or smaller, with a lot of onshore or side-shore wind. There’s a small clean day on Wednesday the 2nd of September with a 2ft S swell, but it’s very small. That stretch of eight to nine days is a real lull.
For the best waves in this window, hit Thursday morning and Friday morning this week. The rest is waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 | NE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | S 6 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
67 | 230 | 74 | 292 | 155 | 88 | 161 | 333 | 302 | 186 | 194 | 154 | 269 | 168 | 463 | 170 | 106 | 79 | 47 | 33 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 9:26AM1.33m | 9:30PM1.43m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:22PM0.25m | 3:48AM0.13m | |||||||
— | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | NE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 |
67 | 100 | 74 | 147 | 155 | 88 | 80 | 333 | 302 | 186 | 194 | 154 | 269 | 168 | 343 | 170 | 106 | 79 | 47 | 32 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 11 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | S 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 7 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 9 |
6 | 44 | 27 | 15 | 6 | 9 | — | 54 | 42 | 40 | 47 | 31 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 30 | 19 | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | S 18 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SE 16 | S 16 | S 15 | — | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSW 13 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 18 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | S 8 |
3 | 6 | 24 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 5 | — | 21 | 38 | 58 | 39 | 63 | 18 | 6 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 7 | NNW 2 | NE 8 | WNW 3 | S 4 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | SSE 9 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — |
53 | 230 | 1 | 292 | 1 | 10 | 161 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 463 | — | — | — | 2 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 5 | 130 | 0 | 2 | 468 | 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.











