Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Honestly, it’s looking pretty bleak for the next week or so. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly messy surf. The first real opportunity doesn’t show up until Tuesday, the 14th, and even then, it’s marginal. After that, there’s a run of poor conditions right through the weekend and into the start of the following week. The models are hinting at a pulse of energy later on, but we’ll get to that.

Thurso Beach is the only break on the radar, and it’s a tough one right now. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

The first flicker of life comes on Tuesday morning, July 14th. The wind will be light and cross-offshore from the ESE, setting up a clean surface. We’ll see a 4 ft swell from the WNW, with a long period of 11 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and at Thurso Beach, a beach break, that long period might make it a bit straight and tricky. The combined energy is moderate at 328. It’s not going to be pumping, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.

Moving into the middle of the second week, there’s a significant uptick in size. Monday morning, July 20th, the swell jumps to 6 ft from the WNW, with a short, weak period of 6 seconds and energy at 289. Couple that with a moderate cross-onshore breeze, and it’s a choppy, blown-out mess.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th is a washout with strong winds and poor surf quality. Then on Tuesday, July 21st, the wind goes cross-off from the SSW, cleaning things up, but the swell is a mixed bag from the NNW, with moderate energy readings of 596 in the morning. There’s a lot of energy in the water, but it’s not well-organized.

The only true standout in this entire 16-day window is the late afternoon of Thursday, July 23rd. This is a long-range call, so treat it with a bit of caution, but it looks promising. We’re looking at a 8 ft swell from the WNW, with a very long period of 13 seconds. The combined energy rockets up to 1860, which is strong. The caveat is the wind is a strong cross-shore from the west at 25 mph, creating messy cross-chop. This is serious, powerful swell, but only for experts. The size and power will be too much for most, and the chop will make it a battle. The quality isn’t there for a classic day, but the raw potential is undeniable.

Thursday the 24th still has some decent size, with 7 ft and 6 ft swells, but the wind remains cross-shore, keeping it from being a true standout.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Tuesday the 14th offers a brief, clean, and small window. The real punch of swell comes on the 23rd, but it’s a wild, expert-only affair. If you’re desperate, keep an eye on Thursday the 24th for a slightly cleaner, more manageable 6 ft, but it’s still not going to be perfect.

Rusty.

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