The Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Bowl sea temperature is
13.9° C
0.4° 

The Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Bowl surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with 882 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Bowl this week:

The surf forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Bowl in the next 16 days are 2.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Wed 19th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 11s
Best Surf 4PM (Mon 24th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 11s
Most Powerful 7PM (Mon 24th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for The Bowl. It’s a reef setup, exposed to the NW, and it’s an advanced wave all the way. The water’s sitting at 57°F, pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first week is a write-off, to be honest. From Tuesday the 18th right through to Sunday the 23rd, it’s a mess. We’ve got a bit of swell bumping around, up to 6ft on the 20th, but the wind’s howling from the north and northwest, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the whole thing is lumpy and choppy. The energy’s there on paper – a reading of 394 on that Thursday – but the wind’s just killing it. Not worth paddling out. There’s a long stretch of poor conditions there.

Now, things start to turn late on Monday the 24th. The morning’s still ordinary with a 4ft swell, but by the afternoon we get a proper injection. A 7ft WNW groundswell rolls in with a nice 11-second period, and the wind swings light offshore from the SSE. That’s clean, that’s powerful, and the combined energy jumps to 867 – that’s proper strong. The direction is a good match for the optimum NW swell window, so expect some thick, lined-up reef waves. This is the standout of the whole period. It’s a bit meaty at 7ft, so this is one for the experienced crew only. Keep an eye out for the crowds too – it can get busy at The Bowl, and on a Monday afternoon like that, you might have to share.

Tuesday the 25th still has a bit of life, with a clean, glassy afternoon as the wind drops to nothing and the swell hangs around 3ft from the west. Not huge, but tidy. After that, we drop off again. The rest of the week into the start of September is a mix of small, weak swell and strong breezes, mostly cross-offshore, which keeps the surface clean but the waves tiny. There is a spike on Sunday the 30th with a 7ft swell from the west and moderate cross-off wind – that’s 674 in energy – but it’s still tagged as marginal due to tide and conditions. Over 8ft and it’s for experts only, so 7ft is on the edge. If you’re keen and advanced, that Sunday afternoon could be worth a look, but it’s less certain.

For the second week, the pick is definitely that Monday the 24th afternoon. It’s the one that fires. After that, it’s all small and ordinary again. The Bowl can be a moody beast; this run has one clear window of quality, so if you can, make that day count.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the NNW by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Fri night, light winds from the S by Mon morning).

Tue
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
N
8
0.9
W
12
1.4
W
11
1.1
W
10
1.3
N
7
1.7
N
8
1.8
N
7
1.7
N
9
1.5
N
8
1.5
N
9
1.6
N
6
1.5
NNW
9
0.9
N
9
0.7
N
8
0.8
WNW
6
1
WNW
8
0.9
WNW
8
1.2
WNW
8
2
WNW
11
1.7
W
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
29
235
448
252
181
320
348
430
302
340
169
351
125
66
42
137
105
176
850
603
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
5
NW
20
ENE
25
NE
20
NNE
30
N
30
NNW
25
NNW
30
NW
30
NW
30
NW
25
NW
30
NW
20
W
15
WNW
20
W
10
SW
10
S
10
SSE
15
SSE
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
1:17AM4.51m
1:52PM4.13m
2:06AM4.17m
2:44PM3.95m
3:10AM3.88m
3:54PM3.84m
4:38AM3.72m
5:18PM3.86m
6:14AM3.76m
6:34PM4.01m
7:22AM3.94m
7:29PM4.24m
Low Tide
7:03PM1.99m
7:36AM1.93m
7:49PM2.25m
8:23AM2.27m
8:51PM2.49m
9:29AM2.54m
10:25PM2.60m
11:03AM2.65m
00:01AM2.49m
12:23PM2.55m
1:05AM2.25m
1:18PM2.35m
1:49AM1.97m
light rain
light rain
light rain
cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
light rain
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:41
5:43
5:47
5:48
5:50
5:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:54
8:52
8:49
8:46
8:44
8:40
8:37
 mm
4
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
15
13
12
13
12
12
12
11
11
11
12
14
13
13
14
14
14
16
17
15
Feels °C
15
11
8
8
6
6
5
5
4
5
7
8
7
9
10
11
12
14
15
12
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the The Bowl Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Bowl provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Bowl can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Bowl 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 (The Bowl) 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 The Bowl 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 Scotland - North Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near The Bowl, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Scotland - North Coast, consider staying in Scrabster which is 7 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Scotland - North Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Wick which is 39 km (24 miles) away and Kirkwall, 56 km (35 miles) away.

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