
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, W swell with 2,280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Thurso Beach. We’ve got a 16-day window, and it’s a real mixed bag, so let’s break it down, mate.
Right off the bat, we’re looking at a pretty flat spell. The first week is a write-off, honestly. The surf is small, the wind is all over the shop, and most of the time it’s just poor. We’ve got a few tiny bumps around Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, but the swell is knee-high at best (1ft to 2ft), and the energy is pathetic – reading 50 to 100 (weak energy). The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The standout moment of that first week is a very brief window on Wednesday afternoon when the wind went glassy and the swell was a pathetic 2ft. It’s surfable, but really just for a longboard or a bit of a paddle.
Then we hit a real quiet patch. From the 14th through to the 17th, it’s just more of the same: small, messy, and blown out. The energy stays low, barely cracking 100 most days, and the swell is small and weak. Forget about it.
Now, hold on to your boardies, because things get interesting. The real action starts to build on Tuesday the 18th. The morning of the 18th sees a jump up to 7ft swell from the west, with a solid offshore wind from the south. The energy kicks up to 639 (moderate), and the forecast says good surf conditions. That’s the first true window to get excited about. The wind is a clean offshore, and the swell is a solid head-high. It’s still a bit of a cross-shore shift in the afternoon, so aim for the morning.
But the absolute standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is Wednesday the 19th. The morning delivers a proper 10ft swell from the west-northwest, with a period of 11 seconds, giving it some real grunt. The energy is massive – reading 2476 (strong energy). The wind is light and cross-shore, which is a minor caveat, but for a big wave spot, this is going to be a day for the experts. The west-northwest swell direction is a good match for the optimum direction for this break. The afternoon holds similar size, but with a light cross-onshore wind, so the morning is the pick. This is heavy, powerful, and will be a proper challenge. Not for beginners, that’s for sure.
The swell lingers through the 20th and 21st, with 10ft and 8ft days, but the wind gets a bit messy again, tending cross-off or cross, so the quality drops. The energy remains high, though, over 1000 for most of the 20th.
After that, the swell backs off and the wind turns onshore on the 22nd and 23rd, making it a messy, choppy mess. The 24th is flat. Then we get a little pulse of energy on the 25th with 4ft swell and a clean cross-off wind, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it won’t have the same power as the big day. It’s a fun, rideable day, but nothing special.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a total write-off. The gap from the 13th to the 18th is a solid 5 days of nothing worth paddling for. Then we get one big, standout day on the 19th for the experienced crew. The 18th morning is also a good, solid option. The rest is just watching the whitecaps. If you’re a beginner, sit this one out or wait for a smaller day. For the big, powerful, and clean swells, the 19th is the one, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | N 8 | N 7 | W 12 | W 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 5 | W 5 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | N 7 | W 10 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 27 | 24 | 82 | 32 | 43 | 58 | 71 | 90 | 81 | 27 | 75 | 205 | 134 | 243 | 169 | 89 | 23 | 44 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:30PM4.91m | 9:12AM4.84m | 9:16PM5.15m | 9:57AM4.97m | 9:59PM5.31m | 10:39AM4.99m | 10:40PM5.35m | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:49AM1.13m | 3:05PM1.49m | 3:34AM0.89m | 3:48PM1.37m | 4:17AM0.79m | 4:28PM1.34m | 4:58AM0.82m | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | |
— | 9:12 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:01 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 11 | W 6 | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 8 |
60 | 27 | 15 | 82 | 18 | 43 | 58 | 71 | 42 | 45 | 25 | 24 | 205 | 134 | 79 | 57 | 89 | 23 | 25 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 12 | N 7 | WSW 10 | W 6 | N 10 | N 10 | SE 6 | SE 5 | — | — | N 8 | NNW 9 | E 5 | — | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 10 | N 7 |
15 | 8 | 24 | 8 | 32 | 6 | 34 | 44 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 13 | 34 | 1 | — | 23 | 7 | 44 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | ESE 5 | N 7 | N 8 | W 5 | SE 6 | N 9 | E 6 | E 5 | — | N 10 | N 8 | — | — | — | W 10 | WNW 6 | N 6 |
2 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | 18 | 3 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 5 | W 5 | — | NNW 5 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | ESE 2 | SE 4 |
5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | 81 | 27 | 75 | — | 14 | 243 | 169 | — | — | 1 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 71 | 1181 | 28 | 728 | 71 | 94 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
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.











