
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 6,509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thurso Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ our way for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. Nothing really worth paddling out for on the Monday or Tuesday, with messy cross-off winds and poor surf quality, despite some clean conditions. The swell is there but it’s just not comin’ together.
We finally get a little glimmer late Tuesday morning with a clean 8ft swell from the West, period 11 seconds, and offshore winds from the SSE. The combined energy is solid at 1673 (moderate to strong), and it’s got that nice clean face. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes” so you might have a few friends out, but nothing too hectic. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so it’s a decent window for a Tuesday morning session if you’re keen.
But the real standout, the one you’ve been waitin’ for, comes on Saturday the 12th of September. The morning brings a powerful 12ft WNW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and the wind is offshore from the south. The combined energy is a hefty 4213 (strong to very strong). Look, this is big. Over 8ft means it’s expert territory only. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is a proper, powerful groundswell that’ll be lining up nicely, but because it’s a beach break, that long period might make it a bit straight. Still, the power is undeniable.
Sunday the 13th is a bit more manageable. The morning brings a 10ft WNW swell with a 12-second period, and light offshore winds. Combined energy sits at 2321 (strong). It’s still big, but more approachable for experienced surfers. Then Sunday afternoon turns glassy with a 7ft WNW swell... that’s the kind of session you dream about. Clean, glassy, and smooth. It’s a special moment.
After that, the swell drops off a bit, but Monday the 14th still has a clean 5ft swell with offshore winds for the morning. The energy is moderate at 845. It’s a good, solid option for the intermediate crew.
The following week gets messy again. Big swells hit again on Tuesday the 15th with 15ft and 13ft, but the wind is cross-off and it’s just too big for this beach. Then we get a run of poor surf, mostly from the north with short periods and strong winds, right through to the end of the 16-day window. The last few days are blown out or way too big to be enjoyable.
So in short: the best bet is Saturday the 12th for the experts, and Sunday the 13th for the glassy, clean session. Don’t sleep on Tuesday morning the 8th either if you want a smaller, cleaner one. The rest of the window is a write-off, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, light winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
505 | 1537 | 4937 | 1673 | 1007 | 370 | 186 | 127 | 64 | 88 | 214 | 214 | 263 | 505 | 1138 | 4206 | 5186 | 4780 | 2243 | 1113 | 502 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | SE 6 | N 10 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | N 9 | — | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
505 | 1537 | 4937 | 1673 | 1007 | 370 | 186 | 127 | 64 | 88 | 214 | 214 | 2 | 2 | 1138 | 4206 | 2 | — | 2243 | 1113 | 502 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | NNW 7 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | W 18 | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | NNW 14 | NNW 14 | NNW 12 |
8 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 68 | 28 | 27 | 9 | 4 | — | 6 | 2 | 7 | — | — | 78 | 143 | 254 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SE 7 | S 4 | — | N 4 | NW 8 | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 3 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | SSW 4 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | — | — | SSE 4 |
16 | 15 | 12 | 15 | — | 7 | 182 | — | — | 10 | 7 | 6 | 263 | 505 | 1065 | 39 | 5186 | 4780 | — | — | 19 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 363 | 825 | 523 | 731 | 523 | 731 | 313 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 170 | 585 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thurso Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thurso Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thurso Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thurso Beach 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 (Thurso Beach) 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 Thurso Beach 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 Thurso Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Scotland - North Coast, consider staying in Scrabster which is 2 km (1 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 31 km (19 miles) away, Kirkwall and Lossiemouth.










