Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, NNW swell with 283 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Bowl in the next 16 days are 1.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here.
Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you—this stretch is as bleak as I’ve seen it for The Bowl. We’re looking at a full 16-day window with no standout sessions, and honestly, very few windows where you’d even bother paddling out. The first real chance of something surfable doesn’t come until Saturday the 8th of August, and even then it’s ordinary.
The overall pattern is dominated by cross-onshore and cross-shore winds from the NW quarter, kicking up chop and lump. Swell energy is weak to moderate at best, with combined energy values mostly under 200. There’s no groundswell to speak of—periods are short, mostly 5 to 9 seconds, so waves will be weak and gutless.
From Sunday the 2nd through to Friday the 7th, it’s a write-off. Winds are cross-on or cross-off, but the swell is tiny and the conditions are poor. The first sniff of anything comes Saturday the 8th in the morning: a 3ft W swell with a light SW cross-off breeze. Clean, but the energy is only 119, so it’s small and weak. A beginner might get a few, but it’s not worth getting excited about.
Sunday the 9th morning offers a tiny 2ft W swell with a light S offshore wind—clean again, but again the energy is weak at 96. Ordinary.
The rest of the second week is more of the same. A spike in energy on Thursday the 13th, with a 5ft WNW swell, but the wind is howling out of the NW at 22 mph, cross-on and lumpy. Energy hits 244, but it’s messy and blown out. That’s only for experts, and even then it’s not fun.
No standouts here. No break to highlight. The Bowl is a reef setup, so it needs the right direction and clean conditions, and we’re just not getting that. If you’re desperate, Saturday the 8th morning is your best bet, but keep expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the ESE by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue night, calm by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 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) | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | E 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NNE 5 | N 6 | N 6 | N 6 | N 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 167 | 202 | 276 | 230 | 190 | 136 | 84 | 63 | 121 | 69 | 50 | 44 | 83 | 89 | 100 | 76 | 78 | 96 | 89 | 84 | 82 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | | |  | |  | | |  | | | | |
 | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:32 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | N 7 | N 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 144 | 202 | 276 | 230 | 190 | 136 | 84 | 63 | 42 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 31 | 76 | 51 | 96 | 89 | 84 | 82 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 10 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | N 11 | W 9 | W 9 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | — | 102 | 55 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 61 | 78 | 41 | 30 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 6 | W 11 | NE 6 | — | — | NNE 10 | N 10 | N 9 | — | W 12 | W 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | — | — | 18 | 7 | 2 | — | 3 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | — | — | E 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NNE 5 | N 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 7 | — | SE 2 | — | — | E 4 |
| kJ | 167 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 16 | 29 | 50 | 121 | 69 | 50 | 44 | 83 | 89 | 100 | 58 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 29 | 0 | 65 | 9 | 9 | 369 | 289 | 289 | 266 | 223 | 183 | 700 | 354 | 45 | 45 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
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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