Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and you’ll need to pick your moments carefully.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first few days are a write-off, with strong onshore winds and poor conditions. The surf doesn’t really start to look interesting until the weekend.

The first real chance comes on Saturday afternoon, the 8th of August. The swell is coming from the west at 7 ft, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is offshore and moderate, so the faces should be fairly clean. The combined energy is moderate (754). It’s not a world-beater, but it’s the first decent window.

Sunday the 9th gets a bit blown out in the afternoon, but Saturday is your best early bet. Water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is basically bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The standout of the whole outlook, though, is Monday the 10th of August. The morning is a bit messy with a cross-on breeze, but the afternoon has some real potential. The wind goes light, onshore swing to a light northerly, and the swell is 6 ft from the NNW at 10 seconds. The wind is almost glassy, and that’s a major positive for clean, rideable waves. The combined energy is strong (734). This is the one I’d be circling on the calendar. Just keep in mind the swell direction is a bit north, so it might not be the absolute optimum for the beach, but with that light wind, you’ll be getting some nice lines.

After that, the surf drops off into the middle of the week. Tuesday and Wednesday are small and weak, with energy dropping to 61 (very weak) by Wednesday morning. Not worth the paddle.

We get a bit of a pulse again on the 13th and 14th, but the wind is howling from the west, strong and cross. It’s going to be messy and choppy, with combined energy hitting 660 on Thursday afternoon, but the wind makes it unrideable for a standard paddle board. Honestly, with that setup, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The next real sighting is on Sunday the 16th of August. The afternoon has a light southerly offshore wind, with a 5 ft west swell at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate (371), and it’s clean. It’s a solid option, but not quite as good as the previous Monday.

The rest of the second week into late August is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some swell around, but the wind is often cross or onshore, keeping the quality low. The 18th of August has some 7 ft swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the conditions are only marginal. It’s a tough run.

Bottom line: The absolute best session on offer is Monday afternoon, the 10th of August. If you can’t make that, then Saturday afternoon the 8th and Sunday afternoon the 16th are your next best bets. The rest of the time, you’re fighting the wind.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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