Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 12s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, W swell with 8,464 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 (Sep 09) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me break it down for The Bowl. Water temp’s about average for this time of year – nothing crazy.
Starting Sunday the 6th, it’s flat. A weak 3ft W swell with a 9-second period and cross-off wind at 15 mph. Just poor – stay home.
Monday the 7th: morning sees a 5ft WSW swell, but still poor. Afternoon gets an 8ft W swell with a 13-second period, but strong SW winds at 22 mph make it marginal.
Tuesday the 8th morning is your first real shot. A solid 12ft W swell (3159 energy), 12-second period, with strong offshore wind from the SSW at 25 mph. Clean, but 12ft is expert-only. The Bowl’s a reef, so that long-period groundswell will work great. Afternoon wind swings onshore – done.
Wednesday the 9th is junk.
Thursday the 10th: small – 3ft W swell (84 energy) in the morning with offshore wind, but barely surfable. Afternoon’s 4ft (162 energy) – still ordinary.
Friday the 11th: 7ft W swell but a 6-second period and cross-shore wind – lumpy.
Saturday the 12th: morning has a 7ft WNW swell (1237 energy), 12-second period, clean cross-off wind. Getting better. Afternoon’s 8ft with cross-shore – less clean.
Sunday the 13th: morning brings 8ft WNW (1903 energy), 12-second period, clean SSE wind. Good combo. Afternoon pumps to 10ft W (2692 energy), still clean – expert territory. Crowds possible.
Monday the 14th: 8ft W (1412 energy), 10-second period, clean wind. Marginal but surfable. Afternoon gets 45 mph winds – nasty.
Tuesday the 15th: drops to 4ft N (535 energy) with offshore S wind, clean but small.
Wednesday the 16th: tiny and onshore – forget it.
Now the big one – Thursday, September 17th. Morning: 7ft W swell (913 energy), 10-second period, light offshore SSW wind at 6 mph – glassy clean, very good surf. Afternoon: 13ft W swell (5288 energy), 13-second period, light cross-shore wind. That’s huge energy – expert only. That morning session is the best of the whole run.
Friday the 18th: onshore winds ruin it.
Saturday the 19th through Monday the 21st: poor to marginal – onshore, messy, or tiny.
Best bet: Thursday morning, September 17th – clean 7ft W swell with glassy offshore wind. Tuesday the 8th morning is also good for experts. Everything else is a pass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Mon night, moderate winds from the NNE by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 8 | W 13 | W 14 | W 12 | WNW 11 | NW 10 | NW 8 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 117 | 66 | 449 | 318 | 2185 | 6720 | 3159 | 2081 | 1070 | 411 | 306 | 129 | 70 | 156 | 210 | 339 | 438 | 293 | 1231 | 1766 | 2021 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 8:01 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 13 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | NNE 8 | W 11 | W 13 | W 14 | W 12 | WNW 11 | — | W 10 | — | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | N 6 | W 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 |
| kJ | 117 | 66 | 24 | 89 | 2185 | 6720 | 3159 | 2081 | — | 190 | — | 129 | 70 | 156 | 210 | 1 | 72 | 293 | 1231 | 1766 | 2021 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | SE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | N 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | — | — | WNW 14 | N 9 | ENE 9 | — |
| kJ | 78 | 28 | 8 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 31 | 11 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 118 | 6 | 7 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | NW 7 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | N 6 | N 7 | — | — | N 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 37 | 36 | 2 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SSE 4 | W 9 | WSW 8 | — | — | S 5 | — | NW 10 | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | SSE 4 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | W 6 | WNW 8 | — | — | SE 3 | — |
| kJ | 16 | 18 | 449 | 318 | — | — | 64 | — | 1070 | 411 | 306 | — | 11 | 2 | 6 | 339 | 438 | — | — | 6 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 34 | 10 | 33 | 368 | 922 | 622 | 532 | 16 | 601 | 426 | 309 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 592 | 34 | 0 | 9 | 29 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Bowl 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.
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.
Nearest