Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, W swell with 1,122 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s 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 (Aug 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s. 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cooking at The Bowl for the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, the first part of the outlook is a total bust. We’re looking at a long, dry spell right from the start, with a lot of sloppy, onshore wind and messy conditions. If you’re waiting for a wave, you’ll be waiting a while.
The real action, and the only true standout, comes much later. Circle the morning of Thursday, August 20th on your calendar. The Bowl is going to be firing. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the west, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a solid moderate 348, and with a light, glassy offshore breeze from the SSW, it’s going to be as clean as a whistle. This is a reef break, so that longer-period swell will wrap in perfectly. The water temp is 56°F, right on average for the year, so you’ll want your rubber. It’s an advanced wave, and crowds are only a *sometimes* thing, so you might get some good ones to yourself.
The day before, on Wednesday, August 19th in the afternoon, things shape up nicely. That’s a 5ft swell from the WNW with a very long 12-second period. That’s real groundswell energy, with a strong combined energy of 984. The wind is cross-offshore from the WSW, keeping it clean. It’s a good session, but that Thursday morning is the main event.
The rest of the run after that is a bit of a letdown. Friday, August 21st morning has a smaller 3ft swell from the west with a light breeze, but it’s nothing to write home about after those two days.
So, the first two weeks are a dead loss. The only real pay-off is for the advanced crew, and only for a couple of days in the third week. The rest of the time, you’re better off on the beach.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 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) | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 6 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 11 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 11 | N 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 180 | 70 | 22 | 59 | 655 | 665 | 940 | 1122 | 407 | 526 | 601 | 308 | 263 | 283 | 165 | 107 | 86 | 45 | 29 | 57 | 228 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | 5:55AM4.19m | 6:32PM4.36m | 7:16AM4.39m | 7:36PM4.63m | 8:20AM4.63m | 8:30PM4.91m | 9:12AM4.84m | 9:16PM5.15m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | 12:22PM2.08m | 1:01AM1.85m | 1:26PM1.88m | 1:59AM1.47m | 2:19PM1.67m | 2:49AM1.13m | 3:05PM1.49m | 3:34AM0.89m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:09 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 7 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 21 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | N 7 | W 5 | W 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | N 9 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 11 | N 12 |
| kJ | 8 | 70 | 20 | 59 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 17 | 28 | 25 | 43 | 308 | 263 | 283 | 165 | 107 | 86 | 45 | 29 | 57 | 228 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | W 10 | N 7 | W 10 | NNE 10 | N 11 | NE 9 | N 9 | N 8 | — | NNW 12 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | ESE 6 | N 8 | W 10 |
| kJ | 1 | 17 | 22 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 14 | 60 | 108 | 61 | 28 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 29 | 50 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 5 | W 10 | NNE 7 | — | N 11 | — | — | N 8 | — | N 8 | — | N 9 | NW 9 | W 11 | W 10 | — | W 9 | W 8 | N 14 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 17 | 9 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 106 | 51 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 5 | 33 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | SSW 4 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | SE 3 | S 3 | — | W 7 |
| kJ | 180 | 20 | — | 10 | 655 | 665 | 940 | 1122 | 407 | 526 | 601 | 304 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 32 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 259 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 148 | 7 | 345 | 345 | 7 | 418 | 412 | 34 | 63 | 86 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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