Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,220 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period with WNW 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s unpack The Bowl for the next couple of weeks.
The first few days are pretty rough. Thursday afternoon (20th August) serves up rain showers, a stiff 30 km/h NNW wind, and a messy 6 ft north swell – not a good look. Friday and Saturday stay cloudy with moderate cross-onshore and cross-shore winds, and the swell keeps dropping. It’s poor, choppy, and small right through Sunday. Hardly worth getting the wetsuit wet.
Then Monday morning (24th August) changes everything. This is the standout window. The Bowl is a reef break for advanced surfers, and it lights up with a 7 ft WNW groundswell, 11-second period, and strong energy (1126). A light SE cross-off breeze keeps the surface glassy and clean – perfect conditions for experienced crew. Water temp is around 57°F, about average for the time of year. Monday afternoon stays clean with a 6 ft WNW swell, but the wind picks up, so the morning is your best bet.
After Monday, it fades fast. Tuesday sees a clean 4 ft west swell with a fresh breeze, but it’s too small. From Wednesday on, the swell crashes – knee-high dribble, clean but tiny, with energy dropping to 36 and lower by the 27th. That stretch from Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th August is a total flat spell.
Late August and early September bring a few pulses. Saturday 29th August has a 7 ft NW swell but with gusty cross-onshore wind, so it’s choppy. Sunday 30th August morning is cleaner with a 7 ft NW swell and an east cross-off, but the period is short at 7 seconds, making it fat and weak. It’s considered marginal. Monday 31st and Tuesday 1st September are crossed-up and onshore.
Another possible window shows up on Friday 4th September morning: a 6 ft west swell, 9-second period, clean with a SW cross-off breeze, and moderate energy (537). It’s marginal, so not a lock, but could be worth a paddle for those who know the reef.
Bottom line: the one true standout is Monday 24th August morning – circle that date. The rest of the outlook has some clean but average days and plenty of flat, blown-out, or marginal scraps. If you can, aim for that Monday pulse.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sun night, fresh winds from the ESE by Wed morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 357 | 529 | 351 | 297 | 189 | 103 | 73 | 33 | 70 | 159 | 610 | 1121 | 846 | 531 | 226 | 130 | 82 | 95 | 55 | 48 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | 4:38AM3.72m | 5:18PM3.86m | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | 7:22AM3.94m | 7:29PM4.24m | 8:08AM4.17m | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:59PM2.11m | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:32 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | N 10 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | 45 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 189 | 103 | 73 | 33 | 26 | 159 | 610 | 1121 | 846 | 531 | 226 | 130 | 82 | 95 | 55 | 92 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | W 8 | W 10 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NW 13 | NW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | N 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 8 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 180 | 6 | 28 | 24 | 41 | 7 | 6 | 48 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | W 10 | W 8 | W 17 | — | — | — | NE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 2 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 5 | ESE 6 | — |
| kJ | 357 | 529 | 351 | 297 | 12 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 70 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 20 | 17 | 11 | 68 | 131 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1104 | 259 | 785 | 289 | 183 | 38 | 259 | 17 | 63 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 82 | 170 | 9 | 34 | 286 | 10 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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