Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s shaping up for us over the next couple of weeks.

First thing you need to know – the water is running a bit warmer than usual, sitting at 57°, which is about 2° above what we’d expect for this time of year. Not a huge deal, but you might not need the thickest wetsuit right off the bat.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but it kicks off on Monday the 14th. Thurso Beach is the only game in town, and honestly, it’s a pretty decent way to begin. Monday morning is looking clean with a moderate offshore breeze from the SSE. We’ve got a 3 ft swell rolling in from the NNW at 12 seconds – that’s a nice, long-period groundswell, which means proper waves with good energy behind them, though at a beach break like this it might be a little straight. The combined energy is moderate at 356, so there’s some push. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and it’s fairly consistent, but crowds are possible, so don’t expect to have it all to yourself. Monday afternoon sees a slight bump in size to 4 ft, but the direction swings more westerly with a shorter 9-second period, making it a bit less organised.

Now, Tuesday the 15th through to Thursday the 17th is pretty much a write-off. The wind goes onshore or cross-shore, the swell gets messy, and the quality drops right off. There’s a big jump in energy – we’re talking 453 up to 2778 on Thursday – but it’s all wind-affected junk. Not worth paddling out for.

Things get a bit wild from Friday the 18th onwards. We get a serious pulse of swell, with Friday morning seeing a 15 ft beast from the WNW at a very long 13-second period. The combined energy is massive at 6642. The wind is clean and cross-offshore, but honestly, this is way too big for this break. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s more of a big-wave tow-in situation than a fun paddle. The swell stays oversized through the weekend and into Monday the 21st, with 10 ft to 13 ft waves. It’s clean, but it’s just too much grunt for a beach break. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this period.

We get a bit of a breather on Monday afternoon the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd, with the swell dropping to a more manageable 6 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is a bit iffy, and the conditions are marginal. Not terrible, but nothing to get excited about.

Now, here’s a true standout that’s worth circling on your calendar. Wednesday the 23rd is looking very promising. Morning session at Thurso Beach has a clean 5 ft swell from the WNW with a solid 12-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surf should be glassy and well-shaped. The combined energy is a moderate 918, so it’s got enough push without being a chore. This is the pick of the bunch for the whole forecast – good size, clean, and manageable.

However, Wednesday afternoon gets messy with an onshore wind and a 10 ft jump in size that’s hard to read. Then Thursday the 24th is back to being too big again, with 12 ft waves and strong winds, so that’s another one for the experts only.

The final week – from Friday the 25th through to Monday the 28th – is pretty flat and messy. Small, weak swell, bad wind, and low energy. Not worth the drive.

But hold on, Tuesday the 29th throws in a late wildcard. A 5 ft swell from the west with a very long 15-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is 787, so moderate but with serious quality. The wind is light and cross-offshore, meaning clean conditions. This is the other standout of the whole run. For a point break or reef, that long period would be magic; at a beach break it might be a bit straight, but the quality of the swell should still give you some nice, lined-up waves. This one is two weeks out, so it’s promising but less certain.

So, to sum it up: the best windows are Monday morning the 14th, Wednesday morning the 23rd, and that promising long-range call for Tuesday the 29th. The big stuff in between is just too much for a paddle.

Rusty, signing off.

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