Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 6,709 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 5s 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with the outlook for Thurso Beach.
Let’s be straight with you – the next week and a bit looks pretty bleak for any proper surfing. We’ve got a long run of small, weak swell and onshore winds that just won’t let up. The water temperature is sitting at 57°F, which is about average for the time of year.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Thursday, September 4th. That morning we’re looking at a jump in size with 10ft swell rolling in from the W, with a long 15 second period. That’s proper groundswell energy. The catch? It’s blowing a strong breeze from the WSW, but it’s cross-offshore, so the waves should be clean. The forecasters are calling it marginal due to tide issues, but this is the first proper pulse of the whole run.
Friday, September 5th holds similar potential. The morning session shows 8ft from the W with an 11 second period and a cross-offshore WSW breeze. Again, it’s marked as marginal, likely tide-dependent, but it’s the kind of size and direction that gets the heart going. This swell sticks around into Sunday morning, September 7th, with similar 8ft sets but the wind swings a bit more onshore through the day.
After that, the swell drops back. The standout is Tuesday morning, September 9th. Swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the NNW with a 9 second period, and the wind goes gentle from the WSW – cross-offshore and clean. The surf conditions are expected to be good. For a break that’s fairly consistent and fairly exposed to the NW, this is the pick of the second week. The offshore wind will make for some clean lines.
Beyond that, it fades out again with small, weak energy and tricky winds. Overall, the first real surfable window is a long way off, but there’s some promise in that second week if you’re patient. The best of it looks like Tuesday, September 9th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu night, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Mon morning, near gales from the WNW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | W 8 | NE 4 | N 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 11 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | W 8 | W 10 | W 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 11 | 15 | 44 | 83 | 90 | 125 | 92 | 59 | 33 | 21 | 21 | 156 | 594 | 723 | 1429 | 719 | 688 | 238 | 712 | 865 | 2058 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | 4:35AM1.10m | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  |  |  | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — |
mm | 2 | 5 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 9 | E 8 | E 7 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | W 7 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | N 10 | W 10 | N 10 |
| kJ | 15 | 18 | 73 | 32 | 17 | 125 | 92 | 59 | 33 | 21 | 13 | 156 | 21 | 21 | — | — | 688 | 238 | 164 | 865 | 46 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | — | — | E 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | SE 4 | W 9 | N 8 | — | N 8 | — | — | W 8 | N 11 | ESE 6 | N 10 | — |
| kJ | 11 | 10 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 19 | — | 5 | — | — | 72 | 114 | 4 | 96 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | N 12 | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | SE 6 | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | 5 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | NE 4 | N 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | E 2 | E 3 | — | W 4 | SW 4 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | — | SSE 4 | W 8 | — | W 12 |
| kJ | 2 | 15 | 44 | 83 | 90 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 5 | — | 6 | 10 | 594 | 723 | 1429 | 719 | — | 28 | 712 | — | 2058 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 209 | 209 | 218 | 170 | 73 | 73 | 9 | 1 | 41 | 8 | 595 | 0 | 901 | 674 | 654 | 419 | 423 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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.
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