Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the data and see what’s actually out there for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a real mixed bag, and honestly, we’ve got to wait a bit before anything worth paddling out for shows up. The first few days are a write-off – strong cross-shore winds and messy, bumpy conditions. From July 2nd to the 4th, you’re battling strong breezes and poor surf quality, so save your energy. The first real glimmer comes Saturday morning, July 4th. We get a drop in swell height to 5ft coming from the WNW, but the key is the wind shifts offshore from the SSE at just 9 mph. That’s a light breeze, but offshore is offshore, and it’ll clean things right up. The combined energy is moderate at 512, and while the period is a modest 10 seconds, the clean conditions will make it far more enjoyable than anything before it. This is the standout of the first week – a solid window for beginners looking for a clean, manageable wave.

After that, we slide back into mediocrity. The 5th and 6th have almost glassy conditions with light rain, but the swell drops off to 3ft to 4ft with weak energy in the 158 to 270 range. It’s surfable, but very average. Tuesday the 7th sees another jump to 6ft with glassy morning conditions and a score that suggests reasonable quality, but the afternoon turns. The energy here is still moderate but nothing to write home about.

There’s a promising stretch from July 9th to the 10th. On the 9th, we’ve got a 4ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, light cross-offshore winds from the southeast, and clean conditions. Combined energy is 302 – moderate, but the quality will be there. The 10th is a bit better: 4ft from the WNW, period stretches to 11 seconds, and still those clean cross-offshore winds from the ESE at 9-12 mph. The energy bumps to 448. This is your second standout window – small but clean and shaped-up waves for a long session. Crowds are “sometimes” at this break, so you might have some company, but it won’t be a circus.

Then we hit a dead zone. From the 11th onwards, the swell drops significantly, and the energy plummets into weak territory. By the 12th, we’re looking at 3ft and 2ft waves with energy as low as 42 – basically flat. There’s a weird spike on the 13th with a 4ft, 14-second period groundswell, but it’s onshore wind and the setup at Thurso Beach won’t do it justice; it’s better left to the reefs and points elsewhere. The second week is a wash for the most part. A few 2ft to 3ft days on the 15th are surfable but ordinary, and by the 16th and 17th, it’s tiny and choppy again.

Water temp sits at 54°F with a tiny anomaly of +0.2°F – pretty average for this time of year, so don’t expect any surprises there.

For the best: Saturday morning, July 4th for clean, offshore conditions on a manageable 5ft swell, and Friday, July 10th for the best combination of size (4ft), period (11 sec), and clean cross-offshore wind. Everything else is either poor or flat.

Signing off – Rusty.

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