Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 2,967 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period with NNW 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 10s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what The Bowl’s got for us in the next couple weeks. It’s a bumpy ride, so don’t hold your breath for a classic stretch.
We start on Friday the 24th with a solid 10ft swell from the west, and it’s got moderate wave energy (1188). Wind is rippin’ cross-off from the WSW at 25 mph, so it stays clean, but the wave comment calls it marginal. That’s a big, powerful reef wave for advanced surfers only. By Saturday the 25th, it turns ugly—a 13ft WNW swell with strong cross-onshore winds up to 28 mph. That’s a messy, blown-out mess with strong wave energy (2967), not worth paddling out. Sunday the 26th drops to a 6ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. It stays pretty weak through the end of July.
Now, there’s a little bright spot on Tuesday the 28th. We’ve got a clean 4ft to 4ft swell from the north and west with a gentle cross-off breeze at 9 mph. The energy is weak (366-381), but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen all week. Still, it’s not a standout—just a nice little session if you’re really needing a paddle.
The first real standout pops up on Wednesday the 5th of August. It’s a clean 6ft swell from the WNW with cross-off winds at 12 mph. The energy is moderate (361) and the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and lack punch, but the conditions are otherwise glassy. But here’s the catch: the swell direction from the WNW is far off The Bowl’s optimum NW direction, so it won’t be firing perfectly. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve got in that second week.
Overall, the first week is a write-off with howlin’ winds and big, messy swell. The second week shows a bit of promise on the 5th, but it’s a gamble. If you’re an advanced surfer and you’re keen to get wet, keep an eye on that Tuesday the 28th for a clean, small wave, or that Wednesday the 5th for a bit more size. Otherwise, it’s a long wait for much to get excited about.
Stay stoked, but be patient.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri night, light winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1187 | 1556 | 2967 | 2314 | 1087 | 610 | 906 | 678 | 612 | 370 | 319 | 190 | 235 | 188 | 92 | 68 | 105 | 116 | 146 | 100 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:01PM4.00m | 6:29AM3.92m | 7:01PM4.14m | 7:34AM4.01m | 7:51PM4.32m | 8:24AM4.15m | 8:32PM4.50m | 9:05AM4.29m | 9:09PM4.66m | 9:40AM4.43m | 9:42PM4.80m | 10:12AM4.53m | 10:14PM4.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:26AM2.39m | 12:46PM2.31m | 1:24AM2.19m | 1:36PM2.21m | 2:10AM1.96m | 2:18PM2.06m | 2:49AM1.76m | 2:55PM1.92m | 3:24AM1.58m | 3:30PM1.78m | 3:58AM1.44m | 4:04PM1.69m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:50 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — |
 | — | 9:53 | — | — | 9:52 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 |
mm | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | 1087 | 610 | 148 | 678 | 612 | 370 | 319 | 190 | 235 | 188 | 92 | 68 | 105 | 116 | 146 | 100 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 223 | 228 | — | 346 | 346 | 279 | 235 | 176 | 146 | 112 | 65 | 65 | 48 | 33 | 39 | 36 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | W 5 | — | SE 4 | N 10 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | — | 1 | 2 | 33 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | W 6 | — | WSW 3 | — | SSE 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1187 | 1556 | 2967 | 2314 | — | — | 906 | — | — | 72 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 759 | 421 | 759 | 813 | 421 | 63 | 1144 | 21 | 7 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 369 | 7 | 424 | 1160 | 0 |
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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