
Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, W swell with 3,813 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with N 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore 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 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks. We're looking at a bit of a mixed bag initially, but there's some real promise later on if you're willing to wait for it.
The Bowl is an exposed reef break, so it needs a decent swell from the right direction to light up. The water temp is sitting around 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Wednesday the 2nd has some swell but the wind is all wrong – cross-on and choppy – so it's not worth paddling out. Thursday is tiny and messy, and Friday the 4th sees a big jump in size, with the afternoon hitting a solid 13 ft from the west. But with a near gale blowing, that's just a washing machine. The combined energy is insane at 3135, but it's useless for a paddle board; you'd be better off with a kite.
Saturday the 5th is still lumpy and cross-shore, just not clean. It's a frustrating start.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Sunday morning the 6th is a real standout. The swell drops right back to a manageable 4 ft from the west, but the wind swings south-southeast, blowing straight offshore. The combined energy is a weak 216, but it'll be clean and glassy. The Bowl is a reef, so with a period of 8 seconds it'll be a bit short-period, but for a small, clean session it'll be a fun one.
Monday the 7th is another beauty. The morning has 4 ft waves and offshore winds, but the afternoon is where it's at. 6 ft from the west, gentle offshore breeze, and a score that says “very good”. The energy is 682, building nicely. That's going to be the pick of the early part of the week – clean, lined-up, and not too big.
Things get a bit wild again on Tuesday the 8th. The morning has a solid 10 ft but the wind is cross-off, so it's clean but hefty. The afternoon jumps to 15 ft from the west with a 12-second period, but the wind turns cross-on and choppy. That's big, powerful, and messy – experts only, and even then it'll be a battle. The energy hits 5051 – that's a serious amount of water moving.
Wednesday the 9th is a write-off with strong onshore winds and huge, chunky swell. Then we have a real lull from the 10th to the 13th. Thursday and Friday are small, weak, and onshore, and Saturday the 12th has a glimmer of hope. Saturday morning sees a clean 5 ft swell from the west with a very long 14-second period and light cross-off winds. The energy is 969 – moderate but long-period energy. Long period groundswell at a reef like The Bowl? That could be beautiful, but it's over a week away, so keep an eye on it. Saturday afternoon is still clean but the wind picks up a touch.
Monday the 14th afternoon is worth a mention. 7 ft from the west with a 14-second period again, clean cross-off winds. The energy is 1853 – that's a proper swell. It's a bit of a wait, but that Monday arvo could be very, very good if it holds.
Tuesday the 15th stays solid with 6 ft to 8 ft, clean all day. Then Wednesday the 16th morning is an absolute gem – glassy conditions with 4 ft waves. That's the kind of morning you call in sick for. The wind is completely dead, the swell is small but clean, and it'll be a dream session for a few.
The final standouts? Sunday the 6th for a small, clean offshore session, and Monday the 7th afternoon for the best combination of size, wind, and conditions in the first week. In the second week, keep a very close eye on Monday the 14th afternoon and that glassy Wednesday morning on the 16th. The Bowl is a fairly consistent spot, so blank runs don't last long here, but you'll have to wait for the right windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed morning, near gales from the W by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat morning, light winds from the NNW by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | N 10 | W 6 | N 9 | N 8 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | NNE 9 | W 8 | WSW 9 | SW 12 | W 13 | WNW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
963 | 1292 | 693 | 246 | 157 | 66 | 2061 | 3813 | 3520 | 1658 | 1042 | 320 | 93 | 160 | 195 | 15 | 251 | 493 | 1299 | 3622 | 1604 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — | |
mm | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 12 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | NW 8 | — | — |
963 | 1292 | 693 | 246 | 157 | 66 | 31 | 19 | — | — | 1042 | 320 | 93 | 160 | 195 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 16 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | ESE 5 | W 18 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 8 | — | — |
102 | 42 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 65 | 51 | 28 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | SE 7 | N 8 | W 14 | SE 4 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 38 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | — | — | SSE 4 | SE 3 | SE 3 | WSW 5 | W 8 | WSW 9 | SW 12 | W 13 | WNW 11 |
— | — | 17 | 207 | 128 | 97 | 2061 | 3813 | 3520 | 1658 | — | — | 8 | 7 | 6 | 94 | 251 | 493 | 1299 | 3622 | 1604 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 9 | 34 | 424 | 7 | 13 | 531 | 700 | 591 | 421 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1408 | 739 |
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.










