Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, W swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, W swell with 9,880 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s 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 (Aug 31) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s is also forecast. 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 6.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 20ft (6.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Thurso Beach over the next fortnight. There's a bit of a slow start, but we’ve got some serious power building for the second week. Just a heads-up, the first few days are pretty flat and messy, so we’ll have to wait it out.
The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is just about spot on for the end of August, no weird anomalies or anything like that. It's your typical cool, clean Scottish summer water.
Alright, Monday the 31st of August kicks off with a tiny 1.0ft W swell with a glassy morning, but it's still just poor conditions, so it's a no-go. Afternoon gets a bit bumpier with a cross-shore wind.
Tuesday the 1st of September is early with a solid offshore wind from the south, but the swell is only 2ft and weak at 6 seconds, so not much to work with. The afternoon picks up to 6ft but it's cross-shore and lumpy.
Wednesday the 2nd of September has a bit more size, 8ft from the NNW, but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s choppy. The afternoon looks a little better with lighter wind and 8ft, but it's still marginal.
Now, Thursday the 5th of September is when things start to get interesting—though it's a long way off. Friday the 4th of September afternoon looks like it’ll be clean but the swell is 12ft and the wind is strong. That's more for the experienced crew.
Saturday the 6th of September is a write-off with messy cross-shore wind and a chunky 10ft swell.
The standout of the whole outlook is Monday the 8th of September morning. We’ve got a 7ft W swell, light offshore from the south, and the water is clean. It's a solid, consistent wave with moderate energy (452), and the glassy conditions mean you'll be able to take your pick. It's a bit bigger than beginner-friendly at over 5ft, but good for intermediate and above.
The second real highlight is Wednesday the 9th of September afternoon. The swell is up to 10ft from the WNW with a moderate offshore wind. It's big, powerful, and clean—rated as excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is pumping (1631), and the 10-second period means decent power. This is for the big-wave crew only.
After that, there's a run of days with very large swell. Sunday the 13th of September afternoon sees an 12ft W swell with a fresh offshore wind, but it's too big for the break, so only for experts. Another notable one is Tuesday the 15th of September with a 13ft WNW swell in the morning and an 12ft W swell in the afternoon. The energy values are massive (3967 and 5240), but again, this is a bomb—definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Overall, the first week is a bit of a struggle, but the second week delivers serious size and clean wind. Keep an eye on the 8th and 9th of September for the best windows. The swell direction is a good fit for the break's optimum from the NW, and the longer periods (11-13 seconds) in the second week suggest well-shaped waves, though likely breaking straight on this beach setup. It might also look appealing for kite surfing when the size and wind align.
Stay stoked.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NE by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 4 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 12 | W 11 | W 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 76 | 31 | 281 | 294 | 750 | 855 | 596 | 256 | 157 | 735 | 841 | 1101 | 6211 | 2988 | 1544 | 464 | 80 | 45 | 57 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:19PM5.06m | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | |||||||
— | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | W 6 | W 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 12 | W 11 | N 8 | — | — | — | WNW 9 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
12 | 76 | 31 | 13 | 20 | 750 | 855 | 596 | 256 | 157 | 735 | 841 | 20 | — | — | — | 464 | 80 | 45 | 57 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | N 8 | N 13 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SE 5 | — | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | N 8 | W 8 | NW 8 | ESE 6 |
9 | 18 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 102 | 43 | 18 | 4 | — | 66 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 65 | 28 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 6 | N 8 | — | N 13 | — | — | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | N 8 |
— | 7 | 11 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 13 | 12 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | — | S 4 | W 6 | WNW 7 | — | — | SE 4 | W 5 | W 6 | WSW 7 | — | W 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | SSE 3 | SE 4 | SSW 3 |
25 | — | 13 | 281 | 294 | — | — | 12 | 86 | 96 | 71 | — | 1101 | 6211 | 2988 | 1544 | — | 3 | 17 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 595 | 0 | 595 | 595 | 314 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 346 | 1 | 1 | 895 | 617 | 755 | 413 | 281 | 1 | 21 | 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.











