
Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 3 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,059 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period with W 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period. 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 2.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 03) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, let me tell you how it’s shaping up. The Bowl is really the only spot on the radar for this whole stretch, and it’s a mixed bag – some moments of real promise, but you’ll have to pick your windows carefully. It’s an advanced reef break that needs the right wind and tide, so don’t just rock up anytime.
The coming days start with a thumping but messy pulse. On Thursday afternoon (July 2nd), we’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the WNW, but with a 28 mph cross-wind, it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. The wave energy is pumping hard, but the quality is just not there. You’d be better off waiting.
Friday (July 3rd) is a little better, with the swell dropping to 6ft and cleaner conditions in the morning, but it’s still pretty marginal with that cross-off wind freshening up. The afternoon picks up to 7ft, but the wind stays punchy.
Now, Saturday morning (July 4th) is where I’d point you. The swell is a still tasty 6ft from the west, period stretching out to 10 seconds, and with a light 9 mph cross-off breeze from the SSE, it’s going to be clean. There’s plenty of push. This is the standout window early on – expect very good conditions on offer here. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early.
Sunday morning (July 5th) drops off to a smaller 4ft, but that afternoon turns glassy with zero wind and a 4ft west swell. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Monday morning (July 6th) is another glassy one with 4ft, good for a sneaky session but nothing to write home about.
Then things get interesting again. Tuesday morning (July 7th) brings a 6ft west swell with glassy conditions and a short, punchy period of 6 seconds. That’s a good, clean window. But then Tuesday afternoon jumps up to 8ft, which is getting into expert territory with a cross-off wind. That’s a big, clean wall for the crew who can handle it.
After that, there’s a long gap of poor conditions. From Wednesday (July 8th) all the way through to the middle of the month, it’s mostly onshore, choppy, or just too small. The swell drops away, and there’s nothing worth chasing until Friday morning, July 10th. That morning has a 4ft west-northwest groundswell with an 11-second period, clean conditions, and moderate energy. It’s worth a look for the patient surfer, but it’s not a standout.
The real long-range standout is a late call. Monday afternoon, July 13th, is weird – we get a 4ft west swell with a very long 14-second period, but the wind is directly onshore from the NNW. That long period groundswell will be holding up, but with an onshore wind, it’s going to be a battle. For the experts, the power will be there, but for everyone else, Tuesday morning (July 14th) is cleaner with a 4ft west swell and an 11-second period, again with a cross-onshore breeze.
Honestly, this is a two-window forecast: Saturday morning July 4th for the best all-round clean fun, and Tuesday afternoon July 7th for the big, expert-level stuff. The rest is mostly flat or too windy. The water temp is around 54°, which is pretty normal for this time of year at The Bowl.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, strong winds from the W by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
517 | 809 | 1038 | 574 | 414 | 391 | 238 | 190 | 123 | 138 | 112 | 86 | 66 | 73 | 711 | 515 | 367 | 297 | 293 | 257 | 183 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:39AM4.37m | 11:39PM4.72m | 12:16PM4.34m | 00:15AM4.66m | 12:55PM4.28m | 00:54AM4.60m | 1:39PM4.22m | 1:39AM4.51m | 2:30PM4.17m | 2:32AM4.42m | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:27AM1.53m | 5:32PM1.88m | 6:03AM1.56m | 6:08PM1.95m | 6:41AM1.62m | 6:47PM2.05m | 7:22AM1.70m | 7:31PM2.16m | 8:10AM1.79m | 8:23PM2.27m | 9:06AM1.88m | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | |||||||
4:11 | — | — | 4:13 | — | — | 4:13 | — | — | 4:15 | — | — | 4:16 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:23 | — | — | 10:22 | — | — | 10:22 | — | — | 10:21 | — | — | 10:20 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:17 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 11 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 |
11 | 2 | 1038 | 574 | — | 391 | 238 | 190 | 123 | 138 | 112 | 86 | 66 | 28 | 35 | 11 | 10 | 297 | 293 | 257 | 183 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | — | — | — | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 26 | 33 | 43 | 26 | — | — | — | 8 | 9 | 4 | 121 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | N 6 | — | — | N 9 | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 10 | N 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 10 | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | E 4 | W 3 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | — | — | — | — |
517 | 809 | — | — | 414 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 73 | 711 | 515 | 367 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 34 | 345 | 7 | 0 | 778 | 34 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 311 | 424 | 278 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 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.










