Surf Forecasts:
The Left surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, N swell with 496 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Left over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. The swell window has a pretty quiet start, then some clean windows open up, but honestly, the standout action is all packed into a few specific sessions at The Left.
First up, the good juice comes from a solid NW swell, and The Left is a point break that's set up to handle it. We're looking at an exposed spot, fairly consistent, and it gets that optimum energy from the northwest. Water temps are sitting pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild.
Thursday the 13th is a bit of a tease. You've got a tiny 2ft to 2ft swell from the west with a nice 11-second period pushing in. The combined energy is weak (82-163), but the wind is glassy – complete calm in the morning and a light northerly in the arvo. It's surfable, but ordinary. Not the day to get excited about.
Honestly, from Friday the 14th right through to Tuesday the 19th of August, it’s a dead zone. The swell bumps up a bit, hitting 4ft to 6ft, but the wind is just ugly – cross-shore and strong, particularly from the west. It’s a week of poor conditions. The energy picks up moderately (up to 364), but it's all chopped out and blown out. Not worth paddling out.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 20th shows a bigger pulse: 7ft from the north, but the wind is a messy cross-onshore. Wave energy is strong at 492, but the quality is poor. That setup would actually be more appealing for kite surfing than paddle surfing with that wind.
Then we hit the real standout. Friday the 21st, morning session. The swell is a solid 5ft out of the north with a 8-second period, and the combined energy is a moderate 321. The wind shifts to a clean cross-offshore from the WSW, and the surf is described as "clean." For a point break like The Left, that's your window. The size pushes 5ft, which is a proper intermediate level, and the wind will groom it up nicely. This is the best session on offer across the whole 16-day run.
After that, Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see the swell drop back down. Sunday afternoon actually shows a glassy bump back to 5ft from the NNW with a combined energy of 356, which looks promising for a mellow arvo session if the rain holds off.
The second week is quieter, with a handful of clean but small waves (2ft to 4ft) and some glassy moments, but nothing that stacks up to that Friday morning. The last few days of August are tiny and weak, mostly under 2ft, so don't hold your breath.
So, to sum it up: the best bet here is Friday morning, August 21st at The Left. Get on that 5ft NW swell with clean cross-offshore wind. It’s a proper point break with a good rhythm, and it’ll handle that period just fine. If you can’t make that, Sunday the 23rd afternoon could be a glassy backup, but the main event is Friday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Wed night, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the W by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | N 8 | NNE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | N 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
64 | 110 | 73 | 149 | 55 | 101 | 89 | 195 | 207 | 101 | 73 | 58 | 82 | 63 | 42 | 45 | 30 | 31 | 240 | 346 | 434 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:57AM4.97m | 9:59PM5.31m | 10:39AM4.99m | 10:40PM5.35m | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:48PM1.37m | 4:17AM0.79m | 4:28PM1.34m | 4:58AM0.82m | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | ||||||||
5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | |
mm | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 16 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | N 8 | NNE 7 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 12 |
64 | 110 | 73 | 62 | 45 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 207 | 101 | 73 | 58 | 82 | 63 | 42 | 45 | 30 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 45 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | N 10 | N 9 | E 6 | SE 5 | E 5 | W 9 | — | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | W 17 | ESE 7 |
6 | 53 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 | — | 22 | 51 | 62 | 33 | 7 | 41 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 5 | — | 6 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | SE 6 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | N 8 | — | N 9 | W 10 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 17 | W 14 |
12 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 12 | — | 27 | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | E 5 | E 4 | ESE 6 | E 3 | E 5 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | N 7 |
— | — | — | 149 | 55 | 101 | 89 | 195 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 64 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 94 | 240 | 346 | 434 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 902 | 726 | 592 | 777 | 82 | 10 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 214 | 34 | 87 | 63 |
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.











