Surf Forecasts:
The Left surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, NW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, N swell with 1,170 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with NW 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 (Jul 30) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Left over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for The Left.
The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing worth paddling out for, but there’s a promising pulse of bigger swell and clean conditions in the second week that’s got my attention.
The Left (a point break) is a fairly consistent spot that works best with swell from the NW. Right now, it’s not doing much. Wednesday the 29th has a 7 ft W swell, but with a fresh 19 mph WSW wind creating a cross-off breeze, the energy is moderate (744) and the forecast is marginal. That’s not the day to get excited. By Thursday morning the 30th, the swell drops to 3 ft from the NNW but the 6 mph SSW wind gives a clean cross-off. The energy is weak (133) and the surf is just ordinary. The whole first week, from the 29th of July right through to the 9th of August, is a write-off – poor conditions, lumpy winds, or just tiny waves. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations.
But hold on. The standout is shaping up for Monday the 10th of August. The Left wakes up with a 5 ft to 6 ft WNW swell, and the wind swings to a gentle offshore from the S and SSE, keeping it clean. The combined energy is moderate (332 to 465). This is the best on offer so far – clean, lined-up waves for intermediates.
Then Tuesday the 11th of August is the real gem. We’re looking at an 8 ft NW swell with a light 6 mph SSW offshore breeze in the morning, and by afternoon it goes glassy with no wind. The energy is strong (789). This is a solid groundswell pulse, not too big for a confident intermediate but definitely pushing it for beginners. The offshore and glassy conditions will make for some real clean, rippable waves at The Left. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.
Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th still offer some clean but smaller surf, with 6 ft on the 13th and a light cross-off breeze. Worth a look if you’re around.
So to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The magic is on the 10th and especially the 11th of August. Get out there for Tuesday the 11th if you can – that’s the one to circle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Thu afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue night, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | N 7 | WNW 6 | N 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 11 | N 11 | N 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 670 | 291 | 147 | 105 | 60 | 212 | 80 | 43 | 37 | 121 | 66 | 100 | 291 | 244 | 954 | 1029 | 586 | 333 | 258 | 228 | 219 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:40AM4.43m | 9:42PM4.80m | 10:12AM4.53m | 10:14PM4.89m | 10:43AM4.59m | 10:44PM4.94m | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:30PM1.78m | 3:58AM1.44m | 4:04PM1.69m | 4:30AM1.35m | 4:37PM1.63m | 5:03AM1.31m | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  | | | |  | | | |  |  | | | |
 | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 7 | NW 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 11 | N 11 | N 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | W 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | 74 | 55 | 147 | 105 | 57 | 41 | 46 | 19 | 37 | 27 | 58 | 47 | 176 | 244 | 954 | 1029 | 586 | 333 | 258 | 6 | 219 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 11 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | N 8 | N 7 | NW 6 | NNE 9 | NNE 10 | N 9 | — | — | — | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 7 | W 9 |
| kJ | — | 19 | 80 | 28 | — | — | 28 | 27 | 2 | 17 | 18 | 6 | — | — | — | 48 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | WNW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | N 8 | — |
| kJ | 670 | 291 | — | — | 60 | 212 | 80 | 43 | 35 | 121 | 66 | 100 | 291 | 186 | 47 | — | 32 | — | — | 228 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 148 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 416 | 7 | 530 | 7 | 830 | 963 | 421 | 207 | 311 | 46 | 65 | 65 | 32 | 87 | 87 | 46 |
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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