Surf Forecasts:
The Left surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, W swell with 1,253 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period with WNW 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 (Jul 25) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Left in the next 16 days are 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Left over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down The Left, imperial style. The first week isn’t looking good. From Tuesday morning through Thursday afternoon, the wind is a mess—howling from the west-northwest and west at 25 mph, with cross and cross-onshore winds. The swell is a short-period, choppy windswell, mostly 4 to 6 feet, but the energy is moderate at best (587 on Tuesday afternoon). It’s all junk. Don’t bother.
Friday morning, July 24th, things turn. The wind shifts to a cross-offshore breeze from the west-southwest at 19 mph, and the swell bumps up to 7ft from the west, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is 729 (moderate), and the conditions are clean. This is the pick of the first week, but it’s still a marginal call. The Left is a point break, so that west swell should wrap in well, but crowds are a factor—this spot can get busy, and with a 4/5 rating, it’s popular. The water temp is about average for the season.
The real gem is Wednesday, July 29th. The morning is glassy—wind from the south-southwest at 3 mph. The swell is 5ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy is 290 (weak). It’s not huge, but for a point, that glassy water and the right swell direction (matching the optimum NW) will give you smooth, long rides. This is the standout of the whole 16 days, but it’s a week and a half out, so keep your fingers crossed.
After that, the swell fades. By Thursday, July 30th, the waves drop to 2ft, and the energy is down to 76 (weak). The last week of the forecast is a long, flat gap with barely any surf—tiny waves, short periods, and energy under 100. It’s a dry spell, but for this area, that’s just how it goes sometimes.
For beginners, the Friday morning 7ft swell is a bit much—over 5ft, so think twice. The July 29th glassy session at 5ft is safer. For experts, the Friday afternoon 8ft swell on July 24th is there, but the wind is strong and cross-off, so it’s clean but powerful.
Bottom line: Friday morning, July 24th, is your best early call—clean, punchy, but not perfect. The real prize is that glassy July 29th morning. Circle that date.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Tue morning, moderate winds from the WNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Sat afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 266 | 575 | 602 | 330 | 287 | 207 | 171 | 335 | 547 | 726 | 822 | 791 | 717 | 720 | 540 | 328 | 251 | 256 | 857 | 1253 | 1066 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:54PM4.11m | 2:57AM4.31m | 3:51PM3.98m | 4:00AM4.08m | 4:54PM3.95m | 5:13AM3.94m | 6:01PM4.00m | 6:29AM3.92m | 7:01PM4.14m | 7:34AM4.01m | 7:51PM4.32m | 8:24AM4.15m | 8:32PM4.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:29AM1.81m | 8:40PM2.34m | 9:27AM2.09m | 9:49PM2.49m | 10:35AM2.28m | 11:12PM2.51m | 11:45AM2.35m | 00:26AM2.39m | 12:46PM2.31m | 1:24AM2.19m | 1:36PM2.21m | 2:10AM1.96m | 2:18PM2.06m | 2:49AM1.76m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 4:39 | — | — | 4:41 | — | — | 4:43 | — | — | 4:46 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:50 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:00 | — | — | 9:58 | — | — | 9:55 | — | — | 9:53 | — | — | 9:52 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 |
| kJ | 12 | 12 | 1 | 27 | 8 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 717 | 720 | 540 | 328 | 251 | 256 | 120 | 106 | 57 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | 84 | 132 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 |
| kJ | 266 | 575 | 602 | 330 | 287 | 207 | 171 | 335 | 547 | 726 | 822 | 791 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 857 | 1253 | 1066 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 810 | 1107 | 590 | 311 | 446 | 63 | 422 | 496 | 412 | 34 | 34 | 7 | 17 | 21 | 601 | 286 | 370 | 0 | 34 | 389 | 813 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Left surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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