Balnakiel Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Scotland – North Coast, UK)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 7 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Info

Balnakiel Bay Surf Guide

Balnakiel Bay on the North Coast is a reasonably exposed beach break that has pretty consitent surf and can work at any time of the year. The best wind direction is from the east with some shelter here from north winds. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the northwest. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Good surf at all stages of the tide.

Balnakiel Bay Spot Info

Type:	Rating:
Beach	4.0
Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
fairly consistent	7.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Balnakiel Bay:

The best conditions reported for surf at Balnakiel Bay occur when a Northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

7 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Balnakiel Bay (for consistent clean waves)?

februaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Balnakiel Bay with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of February. Clean surfable waves are typically found 16% of the time in February while 66% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 18% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

16%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

66%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

18%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Balnakiel Bay Location Map

Interactive Balnakiel Bay surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Balnakiel Bay is Wick Airport (WIC) in U.k., 99 km (61 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Balnakiel Bay is Stornoway Airport (SYY), also in U.k., 100 km (62 miles) away.

Break

Live Wave Height (m)

Live Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Balnakiel Bay Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

7 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Thursday, 25 February 2021, 13:24 Local Time

m, °C	Thursday 25
ft, °F	9AM	12PM	3PM	6PM
Wave (m)	WSW	W	W	W
Period (s)	14	13	13	13
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- on	on	on	on

What does Balnakiel Bay look like?

Latest photos from Balnakiel Bay. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Niquinho

Surf-Forecast StoreCertified organic materials, made using renewable energy.

Shop Mens

Shop Womens

View store

Tides at Balnakiel Bay

Current tide and informaton

For Balnakiel Bay, 21.0 km from Balnakiel Bay.

Next High Water: 07:02pm | 3.52m

Next Low Water: 01:05am | 0.6m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Balnakiel Bay Sea Temperature

Very cold water temperature (7.4 °C) at Balnakiel Bay. Despite the sunshine, even with a thick winter wetsuit, neoprene hood, gloves and boots it will be difficult to stay comfortable in the sea for long today.

Today, many surfers would wear a winter wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.