Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, straight off the bat, it’s a pretty bleak picture. The forecast is a long, dry spell of nothing worthwhile. The first solid week-and-a-half is just a write-off for any decent surf. We’re looking at a big gap from now until about the 10th of August with pretty much nothing to get excited about.

For the first few days, it’s all cross-shore and cross-onshore winds with small, weak swell. The combined wave energy is in the low to mid hundreds (135 to 376), which is moderate, but the wind just chops it all to bits. The water is sitting at 56°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

A few mornings around the 3rd of August show a little bump in size, with a 5ft swell from the north, and a 10-second period giving it a bit of grunt. The energy jumps up to 485 (moderate), and the wind is light, but it’s a cross-on breeze, so you’ll be battling a little bump. The report calls it “marginal,” and I’d agree – it’s a maybe for a desperate paddle, but nothing to write home about.

After that, it just drops off a cliff. From the 4th right through to the 9th, we’re looking at tiny, gutless waves with energy dropping into the double digits (77 down to 10). The wind is mostly cross-off, which is clean, but there’s simply no swell to push it. It’s a flat spell.

Then, finally, around the 10th of August, there’s a tiny flicker of hope. Monday morning the 10th sees a 3ft swell from the WNW, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is 123 (weak). The big news here is the wind: it’s glassy. Absolutely glassy. For a beach break, that’s a massive positive, meaning the surface will be like a mirror. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is fair. It’s not going to be epic, but if you’re desperate for a squeak, this is the standout of the whole outlook. The swell direction (WNW) is also a decent match for the optimum (NW), so the shape should be okay.

That little window of clean conditions and a waist-high wave hangs around for a few days. The 11th and 12th of August also show 3ft swells from the WNW, with clean cross-off winds. The energy stays in the low 100s (110 to 136), so it’s weak, but at least it’s clean. The period is only 8 or 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, not a long-range groundswell. It’ll be a bit fat and crumbly, but perfectly rideable on a longboard or a foamie.

The rest of the outlook from the 12th afternoon onwards just fades back into tiny, windy, choppy nothingness.

So, the bottom line: if you really need a surf, point your board at Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August. The glassy conditions on the 10th morning are the highlight. The surf will be small (3ft), clean, and beginner-friendly. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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