Surf Forecasts:
The Harbour surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 5s period, SSE swell with 39 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Harbour this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Harbour in the next 16 days are 0.8m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m looking at the only spot on the menu for a while — The Harbour. And honestly, it’s a tough one. This beach/groyne setup is exposed to swell, but the whole 16-day window is a massive letdown for surf. Every single entry in the forecast is marked as poor surf conditions, so I can’t recommend a single session. That’s a full stretch of no real rideable waves.
From now, through most of August and into early September, the swell is tiny — mostly around 1ft to 2ft — with short periods of 3 to 7 seconds, meaning weak, bumpy little wind slop. There’s a lot of cross-shore or onshore wind early on, and even when the wind goes offshore (like on September 1st, with a fresh 22 mph SW offshore), there’s simply no swell at all to work with — a zero reading. So clean conditions but flat.
Mid-week, around September 4th and 5th, you’ll see some cleaner offshore winds again, but the swell stays tiny, often under 2ft and with those short, weak periods. It’s just not worth paddling out for.
The only time the swell kicks up at all is on September 11th, a Friday, with a 6ft SSE swell at 6 seconds. But look at that wind — strong cross-shore from the NNW at 25 mph. The combined energy jumps to a moderate level, but the wind will turn it into a messy, lumpy, cross-chop mess. Too blown out and choppy for any decent surfing. That’s more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle day, if anything.
After that, it drops right back to nothing by September 12th and onwards. So, the outlook is simple: don’t expect any rideable surf at The Harbour for at least the next two weeks. This is a blank run, and for this area, that’s just how it goes sometimes.
— Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SW by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 7 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 5 | S 5 | NNE 8 | S 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | 11 | 4 | 36 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:46PM4.17m | 3:46AM4.41m | 4:19PM4.14m | 4:21AM4.37m | 4:54PM4.05m | 5:00AM4.25m | 5:33PM3.91m | 5:47AM4.07m | 6:21PM3.73m | 6:44AM3.83m | 7:20PM3.54m | 8:00AM3.61m | 8:41PM3.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:25AM0.56m | 9:32PM0.88m | 9:56AM0.57m | 10:05PM0.90m | 10:29AM0.67m | 10:41PM0.98m | 11:06AM0.85m | 11:21PM1.13m | 11:50AM1.12m | 00:10AM1.34m | 12:45PM1.45m | 1:19AM1.56m | 2:05PM1.74m | 2:56AM1.65m | |||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NNE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | N 7 | NNE 11 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | SE 6 | N 9 | S 5 | S 5 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 |
18 | 11 | 35 | 36 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 34 | 4 | 9 | 40 | 36 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 33 | 48 | 50 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | N 7 | SSE 7 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 6 | — | NNE 8 | N 8 | N 12 | N 11 | — | — | NNE 10 | SSE 6 | N 8 | N 7 | N 4 | S 6 | — | — |
7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | — | 6 | 1 | 11 | 61 | — | — | 18 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | NNE 8 | N 11 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | NNE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | SSE 5 | S 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 |
— | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 64 | 52 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 37 | 55 | 37 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 182 | 201 | 60 | 3 | 505 | 180 | 551 | 302 | 179 | 180 | 60 | 58 | 239 | 484 | 688 | 688 | 686 | 526 | 527 | 380 | 60 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - East Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Harbour Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Harbour provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Harbour can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Harbour 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 Harbour) 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 Harbour 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 - East Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near The Harbour, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Scotland - East Coast, consider staying in Aberdeen which is 3 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Scotland - East Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Charlestown which is 6 km (4 miles) away, Peterhead, Montrose and Fraserburgh.











