The Left Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Left sea temperature is
13.6°C
0.9° 

The Left surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Left surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, W swell with 5,460 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period with W 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Left in the next 16 days are 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sat 12th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Best Surf 1AM (Sat 12th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Most Powerful 7PM (Thu 17th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Left over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what The Left has in store for us.

Alright, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up over the next couple of weeks. There's a lot of energy in the water, but the wind is going to be a real factor. We’ve got some windows of clean conditions, but you’ve gotta pick your moments. The best of it is going to be right at the end of the window, if you can wait that long.

Let’s start with the weekend just gone. Friday the 11th is a write-off – strong cross-shore winds and a lumpy 7ft west swell (combined energy of 611) is not worth your time. Saturday the 12th is a similar story with a big, messy 12ft west-northwest swell (combined energy of 3642) and strong cross-shore winds. The swell gets big, but the conditions are just plain poor.

Things start to look a little more promising from Sunday the 13th. We’ve got a 7ft west-northwest groundswell (period 11 seconds) on Sunday morning with easier winds, but still a bit of a cross-chop. The waves will have some shape, but it’s not classic.

Monday the 14th could be a sneaky good session. The swell drops right back to a clean 3ft from the north-northwest under a light offshore, with a good 12-second period. That’s proper glassy, and the combined energy is a moderate 445. It’ll be small, but the quality could be there for the longboard or a fish.

Tuesday the 15th morning brings a 7ft west swell, but the period is a short, weak 7 seconds, making for a weak, bumpy wave despite the clean wind. The afternoon gets messy again.

The rest of that week into the weekend (16th-17th) is mostly frustrating. The swell is building, with waves hitting 15ft on Thursday the 17th afternoon (combined energy of 4875), and the winds are actually offshore and clean, but the rating suggests the tide will mess with it. It’s going to be a big, powerful west-northwest groundswell (period 11 seconds). That’s a big, heavy wave, and while it’s clean, you need to be an expert to handle that size.

The following weekend (20th-21st) and into the next week sees a constant onslaught of big, 10ft to 13ft west and west-northwest swell. The problem is the wind. It howls from the west, near-gale force, making for absolutely unsurfable, dangerous conditions. This is a full week of a messy, blown-out ocean.

Now, after that long gap of harsh conditions, we get to the real standout window. Wednesday the 24th after lunch is the one. A serious 20ft west swell (combined energy of 10856) is going to hit, with a 12-second period, and the wind goes light offshore from the south-southeast. This is an exceptionally clean, powerful, and massive day. This is for experts only, but it could be the wave of the season at The Left. The huge swell direction matches the optimum northwest swell direction perfectly. The following morning, Thursday the 25th, is nearly as good: a 10ft west-northwest groundswell (period 13 seconds) with light offshore winds. That’s another excellent, heavy day for the experienced crew.

So, the long-range forecast looks incredible. Bide your time through the wind and the wait, and you will be rewarded.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat morning, light winds from the NW by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the NW by Tue night).

Fri
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
4
1
0
2
2
2
3
2
3
2
2
0
0
0
2
2
2
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2
W
9
2
W
10
2.5
WNW
13
3.5
WNW
13
2.5
WNW
12
2.1
WNW
11
1.8
WNW
10
1.3
WNW
10
1
NNW
12
1.5
W
9
1.1
W
10
2.2
W
7
1.1
W
10
2
WNW
10
1.8
W
10
1.6
W
10
2.1
W
9
3.5
W
10
4.5
W
11
4.5
WNW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
607
884
2377
3642
1881
1008
663
318
313
349
237
440
234
747
709
504
750
2505
4875
5351
Wind (km/h)
30
W
15
S
35
SW
40
WNW
20
W
20
W
10
NW
15
SSE
20
S
10
WSW
5
SE
25
WSW
25
W
35
WNW
25
WNW
20
WSW
30
S
30
WSW
30
SW
25
W
Wind State
cross
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
High Tide
9:38PM5.31m
10:12AM5.01m
10:14PM5.32m
10:45AM4.94m
10:49PM5.21m
11:16AM4.81m
11:23PM5.00m
11:47AM4.64m
11:58PM4.71m
12:19PM4.44m
00:35AM4.38m
12:56PM4.22m
1:21AM4.04m
Low Tide
3:55AM0.82m
4:05PM1.28m
4:31AM0.90m
4:40PM1.32m
5:06AM1.09m
5:15PM1.44m
5:39AM1.36m
5:50PM1.64m
6:12AM1.69m
6:27PM1.89m
6:47AM2.04m
7:09PM2.16m
clear
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:37
6:39
6:41
6:43
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:46
7:44
7:40
7:38
7:36
7:32
7:30
 mm
5
1
5
7
2
1
3
6
6
Temp °C
15
13
15
13
11
13
13
13
16
17
15
14
14
12
11
12
11
12
12
12
Feels °C
9
9
9
5
6
9
11
9
14
16
15
10
9
6
6
7
5
5
5
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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