
Surf Forecasts:
The Bowl surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period, WNW swell with 214 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m 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 0.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at The Bowl over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a quiet start. The first real day worth paddling out is Tuesday, July 14th, but let’s not get too excited. We’ve got a small 3ft swell from the WNW rolling in, with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the ESE. The water is sitting at 55°, which is about average for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate at 229 – it’s there, but the ride is marginal. The Bowl is an advanced reef break, and it’s fairly consistent, but with these tiny waves, it’s only really for the die-hards who need a fix. The swell direction is NW, which is right on the money for the optimum, but the size just isn’t there. Expect crowds sometimes.
Wednesday morning, July 15th, the swell drops even more to 2ft, and the energy falls off a cliff to 70. It’s weak, mate. The rest of the week and into the next is a real bummer. From Thursday, July 16th, right through to Saturday, July 25th, we’re looking at a solid 10-day stretch of poor conditions. The swell is small, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the energy is either weak or moderate but with terrible wind. The Bowl is exposed, but the wind is killing it. This stretch is more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers, honestly.
Now, there’s a glimmer of hope on Sunday, July 26th. The morning is looking glassy with a light ESE breeze, and the swell is back to 3ft from the W. The energy is moderate at 103. It’s still just “surfable but ordinary,” but that glassy wind is a major positive. The water will still be around 55°. It’s a small window for a clean, if small, session.
Monday, July 27th, the morning sees a light offshore from the S, with 2ft waves. It’s clean, but again, very small. The energy is weak at 66. It’s a shortboard grovel session at best.
Tuesday, July 28th, another glassy morning with a 2ft swell from the W. The energy picks up to a moderate 127. This is probably the best-looking morning of the whole run, but it’s still small. The Bowl can be fun when it’s small and clean, so if you’ve got a log or a fish, this is your moment.
The standout window for the whole 16 days is that Sunday, July 26th and Tuesday, July 28th mornings. Clean, glassy conditions on a small but workable swell. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s the best on offer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sat night, fresh winds from the WNW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
123 | 242 | 127 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 214 | 151 | 86 | 161 | 133 | 93 | 75 | 86 | 80 | 113 | 156 | 112 | 61 | |
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-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:27PM5.10m | 10:07AM4.91m | 10:14PM5.21m | 10:57AM4.92m | 10:59PM5.25m | 11:45AM4.85m | 11:44PM5.19m | 12:31PM4.70m | 00:29AM5.05m | 1:16PM4.50m | 1:14AM4.84m | 2:04PM4.29m | 2:03AM4.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | 4:03PM1.40m | 4:34AM0.87m | 4:47PM1.44m | 5:20AM0.88m | 5:31PM1.54m | 6:05AM1.00m | 6:14PM1.70m | 6:51AM1.22m | 6:58PM1.91m | 7:38AM1.51m | 7:46PM2.13m | ||||||||
4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:33 | — | — | 4:35 | — | — | 4:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:05 | — | — | 10:04 | — | — | 10:01 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | ENE 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 6 | N 6 | E 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 |
123 | 242 | 127 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 214 | 151 | 86 | 161 | 8 | 93 | 75 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 49 | 25 | 48 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | — | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | W 13 | WNW 11 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | ENE 9 | N 5 | WNW 10 | NE 9 | — | N 11 | N 10 | N 9 |
106 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 3 | — | 2 | 8 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | N 7 | W 14 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | N 7 | N 6 |
1 | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 15 | 30 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 3 | SE 3 | SE 2 | ESE 2 | SE 2 | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 |
— | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 18 | 133 | — | — | 86 | 80 | 113 | 156 | 112 | 61 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 59 | 17 | 183 | 51 | 32 | 86 | 1268 | 63 | 86 | 424 | 7 | 26 | 133 | 63 | 63 | 86 | 63 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










