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Surf Forecasts:

Bay of Skaill surfForecast / Scot – Orkney / UK

information circle12 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 pm Friday 16 Jan 2026 GMT
Forecast update in hr  min  s Forecast update imminent
Bay of Skaill surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Bay of Skaill sea temperature is
8.5° C
 (Which is normal for this time of year)

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bay of Skaill this week:

The surf forecast for Bay of Skaill over the next 12 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jan 17) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Bay of Skaill in the next 12 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jan 19) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jan 23) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (GMT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sat 17th Jan)4.5ft (1.4m) 12s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 19th Jan)10ft (3.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 9PM (Mon 19th Jan)10ft (3.0m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay of Skaill over the next 12 days.

Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent 
12 DaysHourly
Print Table

Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Mild temperatures (max 8°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Sat night, strong winds from the SSE by Sun night).

Days 3-6 Weather Summary Mostly dry. Mild temperatures (max 8°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon afternoon, near gales from the SE by Thu morning).

Fri
16
Saturday
17
Sunday
18
Monday
19
Tuesday
20
Wednesday
21
Thursday
22
PMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAM
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
3
2
1
0
0
1
3
!
!
!
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
See all maps
Wave Height (m) & direction (?)
2.5
W
2.3
W
1.8
W
1.4
W
1.1
W
1
W
0.9
W
0.7
W
0.4
WNW
2.1
WNW
3
WNW
3
WNW
3
WNW
2.4
WNW
1.6
W
1.3
W
1
W
0.9
W
1.1
W
1.4
W
1.1
W
Period(s) (?)151413121211101020181616151413121211181514
Wave
Graph
(?)Metric surfscale
Energy kJ (?)2902209510945943302331759415126965081508138232252905530290205733842432
Wind
(km/h)
20
SE
30
SSE
35
SSE
25
SE
25
SSE
25
SSE
35
SSE
40
SSE
25
S
30
SSE
45
SE
45
SE
35
SSE
40
SSE
45
SE
50
SE
55
SE
60
SE
55
SE
60
SE
55
SE
Wind State (?)
onshore
cross-onshore
cross-shore
cross-offshore
offshore
glassy
offoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffoffcross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off
High Tide
/ height (m)
7:34PM
2.58
7:50AM
2.79
8:12PM
2.68
8:25AM
2.93
8:47PM
2.74
8:58AM
3.05
9:21PM
2.77
9:29AM
3.13
9:54PM
2.77
10:00AM
3.16
10:27PM
2.75
10:32AM
3.14
11:01PM
2.70
11:06AM
3.07
Low Tide
/ height (m)
1:38AM
0.73
2:04PM
0.59
2:12AM
0.59
2:40PM
0.43
2:46AM
0.48
3:15PM
0.30
3:18AM
0.40
3:49PM
0.21
3:51AM
0.37
4:23PM
0.16
4:25AM
0.38
4:59PM
0.16
5:00AM
0.45
Fri
16
Saturday
17
Sunday
18
Monday
19
Tuesday
20
Wednesday
21
Thursday
22
Sunrise--8:51--8:49--8:48--8:45--8:45--8:42--8:41
Sunset3:52--3:55--3:56--3:59--4:01--4:04--4:06--
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
Rain (mm)
---------------------
Temp. °C777887777887887765554
Feels °C (?)2-1-1221-2-312-2-300-3-5-6-8-8-8-9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Latest Updates

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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Bay of Skaill surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.

View detailed surf forecast for Bay of Skaill at:
surf-forecast.com

Information about the Bay of Skaill Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Bay of Skaill provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 12 days. A general guide to surfing at Bay of Skaill can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bay of Skaill 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 (Bay of Skaill) 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 Bay of Skaill 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 Orkney Islands? If you are looking for accommodation near Bay of Skaill, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Orkney Islands, consider staying in Kirkwall which is 23 km (14 miles) away. Other places in and around Orkney Islands where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Scrabster which is 50 km (31 miles) away and Wick, 71 km (44 miles) away.

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