Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you, it's a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We're looking at a long, quiet start with hardly any surf worth paddling out for.

Right off the bat, we're in a quiet spell. From Wednesday the 26th of August all the way through to Sunday the 31st, it's a write-off. Tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. We're talking waves around 1ft to 2ft with weak energy readings in the teens and twenties (19-188). The wind is all wrong, mostly cross or onshore, messing up what little bump there is. Not a single session worth getting wet for.

Finally, towards the end of the first week, we see a slight flicker. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the morning offers some surfable but very ordinary waves. Swell is a tiny 3ft from the North with a weak energy reading (115), but the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE making for clean conditions. It's not good, but it's the first sign of life.

The second week kicks off with a bit more energy, but it's still messy. Wednesday the 2nd sees a pulse of NNW swell hitting 4ft with a long 12-second period, but strong cross-shore winds from the West make for lumpy conditions. The energy level is building (339-441), but it's not clean enough to get excited about. By Thursday the 3rd, the swell picks up to 6ft from the West with strong cross-offshore winds. The energy is strong (667), but the wind is howling at 28-31 mph, making it a battle. That trend continues into Friday the 4th – solid swell (4ft-5ft) and good energy (430-578), but the strong wind keeps things chopped up.

Now, here's the standout window in the whole forecast. It's a bit of a gamble because it's a way out, but keep your eye on Monday the 7th of September. The afternoon looks like the best bet. Swell will be a solid 8ft from the NW, a bit on the big side for the average punter, with a short 6-second period. But the wind is forecast to be moderate offshore from the SSW, which is a major positive. The energy reading is a powerful 528 (moderate energy), and the setup looks like it could clean up. This is the one session that has the potential to offer some proper waves.

Following that, the forecast gets wild. Tuesday the 8th of September is a washout. The wind goes mental – severe gale and gale force from the West, whipping up a huge, dangerous 13ft swell. This is for experts only, and even then, it's a survival session at best. The combined swell energy is a massive 2614, but the wind will ruin it. The rest of the week settles down, but the swell stays big (8ft-8ft) and the wind stays messy, making it mostly a no-go.

Overall, if you are a beginner, the whole 16-day window is not for you until that Monday afternoon, and even then 8ft is likely too much. For the experienced crew, circle Monday the 7th of September afternoon. The rest is a story of clean conditions with no swell, or plenty of swell but blown out. Forecasts can change though, so keep checking back.

Rusty.

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