Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NW swell with 447 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the table for The Bowl.
Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – the next week and a half is a tough watch. The surf is small and messy for day after day. We're looking at a real dry spell from Friday the 31st of July all the way through to about the 9th of August. That's a long stretch of nothing to get excited about.
The Bowl is an advanced reef break, and it needs a solid NW groundswell to really fire. We just aren't seeing that. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy readings barely hitting triple digits, often sitting in the low hundreds (like 182 on Friday morning) and then dropping to pathetic numbers like 11 on the 8th of August. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, but it's often a fresh breeze, so the surface is chopped up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn't come until Sunday the 9th of August. The morning is glassy, with a 3.3 ft swell from the WNW (9-second period). The combined energy jumps to 161, and it's clean. It's surfable, but it's not a standout. The real standout is shaping up for Friday the 14th of August. That morning, we've got a 5.9 ft swell from the west, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 483. The wind is a light cross-off, so it's gonna be clean. That's the best bet on the whole board. The bowl should have some proper shape and power. It's a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but that's the one to circle on your calendar.
The afternoon of the 14th gets a bit more questionable with a cross-shore wind, and by Saturday the 15th, the wind swings onshore and gets messy again. So, for a solid session, you're looking at the morning of Friday the 14th of August. The rest of the window is a write-off for a good paddle.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the N by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 154 | 97 | 60 | 120 | 144 | 238 | 232 | 207 | 239 | 408 | 356 | 192 | 112 | 95 | 65 | 43 | 40 | 27 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:43AM4.59m | 10:44PM4.94m | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:30AM1.35m | 4:37PM1.63m | 5:03AM1.31m | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:32 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | W 10 |
| kJ | 28 | 25 | 23 | 120 | 144 | 238 | 232 | 207 | 239 | 408 | 356 | 192 | 112 | 95 | 65 | 43 | 40 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 17 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 7 | N 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | NW 8 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | W 10 | W 10 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | — | 16 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | — | 41 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | NW 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | ESE 3 | E 4 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 2 | ESE 3 | SE 3 |
| kJ | 154 | 97 | 60 | 112 | 92 | 86 | 137 | 105 | — | 1 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 424 | 29 | 63 | 832 | 832 | 45 | 21 | 141 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 183 | 170 | 139 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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