
Surf Forecasts:
The Harbour surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, SE swell with 127 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Harbour this week:
The surf forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Harbour in the next 16 days are 1.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1PM. 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 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Harbour over the next 16 days.
I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The Harbour is a beach/groyne setup that's exposed to the swell, but the whole forecast window is a bit of a write-off for quality waves. There's a massive gap of no real surf on offer from the start, right through the middle of the period. We're looking at a dry spell that stretches from Wednesday the 12th all the way through to the end of Sunday the 23rd, with only tiny, weak, and mostly unsurfable pulses in between. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so a wetsuit is your usual.
For the first few days, forget it. Wednesday the 12th has a 4ft swell from the SSE, but it's a short-period 6 seconds, with a cross-off wind blowing at 16 mph. The combined energy is weak (113), and the call is "poor surf conditions." It’s just not gonna happen. This theme continues for over a week – small, short-period junk with poor wind, or just flat spells. The Harbour is fairly consistent, but even a consistent spot can't make something out of nothing. The only real glimmer comes on the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August. We get a glassy 4ft swell from the NNW, but the period is a tiny 4 seconds. The combined energy is only 60, so it's weak, and it's still coming in from the wrong direction for this break. The Harbour wants the swell from the SE, not the NNW. It’s a real shame to see that glassy morning wasted on a poor quality, short-period wave.
The final entry on the 27th of August, a Thursday, shows a 4ft swell from the NE with a 9-second period and a strong offshore wind from the SSW at 25 mph. The combined energy is moderate (189), and it's strong offshore, which will be clean. But it's a long way off, and the swell direction is still not ideal for the spot. It’s a promising sign, but given the history, I wouldn't be banking on it just yet.
So, there's not a single standout in this window. The best you could hope for is to be on the water on the 25th of August morning for that glassy, knee-high dribble, but that's a real stretch. Sometimes the ocean just has a quiet period, and this is one of them. Forecasts can change, but for now, I'd say keep the board in the bag and wait for the next system.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | N 7 | NE 8 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | SSW 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
113 | 109 | 66 | 54 | 0 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:06PM4.22m | 2:13AM4.39m | 2:51PM4.31m | 2:56AM4.53m | 3:33PM4.31m | 3:36AM4.56m | 4:12PM4.22m | 4:16AM4.49m | 4:50PM4.07m | 4:55AM4.31m | 5:27PM3.88m | 5:35AM4.07m | 6:06PM3.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:43AM0.54m | 8:00PM0.97m | 8:29AM0.31m | 8:41PM0.84m | 9:11AM0.20m | 9:21PM0.79m | 9:52AM0.24m | 9:59PM0.82m | 10:31AM0.41m | 10:36PM0.94m | 11:09AM0.68m | 11:13PM1.11m | 11:47AM0.99m | 11:53PM1.34m | |||||||
5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 20 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 6 | NNE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | N 7 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | NE 4 | — | ESE 5 | SE 5 | N 8 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 5 | NE 8 |
113 | 11 | 66 | 54 | 1 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | — | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 9 | N 10 | SSE 5 | N 10 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | N 8 | N 7 | NE 8 | NE 6 | NE 8 | — |
11 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 18 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 12 | N 8 | N 9 | — | ESE 5 | SE 4 | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 8 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 6 | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | S 2 | — | NNE 5 | — | — | SSE 2 | SSE 3 | S 4 | — | SW 4 | SSW 5 |
— | 109 | — | — | 51 | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | 10 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 10 | — | 28 | 64 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 152 | 171 | 3 | 1 | 180 | 180 | 625 | 625 | 192 | 659 | 728 | 307 | 207 | 207 | 58 | 182 | 182 | 180 | 303 | 201 | 188 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - East Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











