
Surf Forecasts:
The Left surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s 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, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Left this week:
The surf forecast for The Left over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Left 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 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Left over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what The Left has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. Straight up I’ll tell ya, it’s a pretty flat and frustrating run for most of the period, with only a couple of brief windows where it might be worth paddling out.
We start off the forecast on Sunday the 2nd of August and it’s not looking good. The Left is seeing poor surf conditions with a small 4ft swell from the WNW, but it’s cluttered with a cross-shore breeze. The combined wave energy is only moderate at 311. Not worth getting wet for.
Moving into Monday the 3rd, there’s a slight lift in swell to 4ft from the north, and the wind swings to a clean cross-offshore from the SE at 12 mph. The wave comment says ‘marginal’, but at least the surface will be clean. The energy drops to 260. It’s a tiny window, and the swell period is a short 9 seconds, so don’t expect much push. Still, if you’re desperate, this is the first chance for a paddle.
From there it’s a grim slog. Tuesday the 4th through to Saturday the 9th of August is just a run of tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. We’re looking at waves mostly under 3ft, with a lot of cross-onshore wind and chop. Crowds are possible here as it’s a point break and can get busy, but right now there’s nothing to crowd for. The combined energy falls into the weak range, dropping from 116 down to just 57. This is a total drought.
Then, on Friday the 7th of August morning, there is a flash of something interesting. The swell is tiny at only 2ft, but it’s a long-period 10-second west swell and the wind goes glassy – absolute millpond conditions from the SSE at just 3 mph. The wave comment says ‘surfable but ordinary,’ and the energy is only moderate at 102. For a point break like The Left, that long period will at least offer some shape, but you’ll be scratching for waves. If you’re a longboarder with patience, that’s your best near-term bet.
Things don’t really improve. The rest of the first week and into the second week is a whole lot of nothing. From the 10th to the 15th of August, we’re looking at ankle-snappers, mostly under 2ft, with a few clean moments but no real swell. Combined energy stays in the weak range, mostly under 100. There are a couple of glassy windows on Monday the 10th afternoon and Sunday the 16th morning, but the swell is so small it’s barely rideable.
The one standout that’s worth mentioning is later on – Sunday the 16th of August morning. It’s glassy, with a 2ft west swell at 9 seconds, and the combined energy picks up to 82. It’s still small, but it’s clean and you might snag a few little runners on that point. Honestly, it’s the pick of the whole outlook, but it’s still nothing to write home about.
Best on offer: Honestly, the standout is Friday the 7th of August morning for the glassy conditions and that longer-period west swell, or Sunday the 16th of August morning for the cleanest glass of the run. Neither is firing, but if you’re jonesing, those are your moments.
Overall, it’s a long, flat period. The Left rarely sees any proper size here, and this outlook is a classic example of the area going quiet. Forecasts can change of course, but right now, don’t hold your breath.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the ESE by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | WNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 5 | N 5 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
167 | 169 | 276 | 235 | 190 | 136 | 109 | 82 | 170 | 230 | 147 | 37 | 28 | 20 | 28 | 68 | 148 | 106 | 76 | 53 | 47 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | 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 | 5:43PM1.68m | 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 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 7 | W 10 | E 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | W 10 | N 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
167 | 142 | 276 | 235 | 190 | 136 | 109 | 82 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 68 | 148 | 106 | 76 | 53 | 47 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | N 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 7 | W 10 | E 6 | W 10 | NNE 7 | W 10 | N 7 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 |
144 | 169 | 42 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 28 | 8 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | W 11 | E 6 | E 5 | N 11 | NE 10 | E 10 | NE 8 | — | — | N 8 |
— | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | E 5 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 4 |
— | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 59 | 170 | 230 | 147 | 37 | 28 | 20 | — | — | 3 | 17 | 31 | 12 | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 63 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 207 | 34 | 183 | 309 | 288 | 332 | 87 | 184 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Left Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Left provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Left can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Left 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 Left) 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 Left 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 Left, 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 38 km (24 miles) away and Kirkwall, 56 km (35 miles) away.











