
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WNW swell with 4,355 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 (Sep 09) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at the Thurso Beach surf. It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, but there are a couple of sessions that’ll get your blood pumping.
The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
We kick things off with a poor start. The first few days are a write-off, with Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th offering very little. There’s a weak, short-period swell around 3ft from the west, but the wind is messy. You’ll be looking at a lot of chop and crumbly lines. Not worth paddling out for.
Friday the 11th gets a bit bigger, with the swell picking up to 7ft - 7ft from the west, but again the wind is a problem. It’s cross-shore and fresh, so it’s going to be lumpy and hard to get a clean ride. The combined energy is getting up there (802) by the afternoon, but it’s just not well organised for Thurso.
Now, the real standout is Saturday, 12th September. This is the best on offer, and it’s only for the experienced crew. We’ve got a solid 10ft groundswell from the WNW with a very long period of 13 seconds (combined energy of 2829). That’s a powerful, well-travelled swell. The morning has clean, offshore winds from the south, so the waves should be epic, but at 10ft, this is proper size – experts only. It’ll be a bit heavy and a long period groundswell like this might bowl up pretty fast, but with that offshore wind, it’s going to be a session to remember if you’ve got the nerve.
Sunday the 13th drops back a notch, with 7ft from the WNW and a long 11-second period, but it’s cross-shore and not as clean. It’s surfable but nothing special.
Monday the 14th is a nice little window. The swell has dropped to 4ft, but it’s from the NNW with a long period of 11 seconds, and we get clean offshore winds from the SSE. This is a good one for beginners and intermediates – waist-to-chest high, clean, and not too crowded sometimes. Combined energy is a moderate (616).
We then go into another poor run from Tuesday the 15th through to the middle of the next week. The wind goes onshore or cross-shore again, and while there’s the occasional bump in size, the conditions are too messy to recommend.
The next real highlight is Friday, 18th September. Another beauty on the way. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the west, with a long 12-second period, and the morning is glassy with gentle offshore winds from the south. The combined energy is strong at (1457). This is excellent for experienced surfers again, but the size and the clean conditions make it a top pick. The afternoon stays clean too, with a light breeze.
After that, it’s a bit of a fade-out. The weekend of the 19th and 20th is poor with cross/onshore winds and lumpy surf. Monday the 21st has a small window of clean, offshore wind with 5ft from the west, but nothing special.
From Tuesday the 22nd right through to the end of the forecast on the 24th, it’s a disaster. Strong to gale-force winds and messy, blown-out surf. The combined energy is weak, and the wind is just howling. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, in short: the standout is Saturday 12th September for the big-wave crew, and Friday 18th September for a more manageable but still solid session. Everything else is a bit of a gamble or a no-go.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat morning, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | W 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
230 | 157 | 48 | 70 | 72 | 621 | 428 | 800 | 1509 | 2822 | 3585 | 2020 | 1142 | 793 | 471 | 454 | 308 | 477 | 282 | 824 | 543 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | 5:06AM1.09m | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 7 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | W 5 | W 7 | W 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | N 11 | W 11 | WNW 13 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | N 10 | N 9 |
186 | 91 | 27 | 70 | 72 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1509 | 2822 | 8 | 5 | 1142 | 793 | 334 | 454 | 308 | 477 | 282 | 68 | 39 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | — | WNW 14 | N 9 | — | — | NNW 14 | NNW 13 | NNW 11 | W 9 | W 8 | NNW 11 | N 10 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
226 | 10 | 34 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 1 | — | 763 | 7 | — | — | 120 | 195 | 471 | 162 | 140 | 198 | 98 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 5 | W 8 | W 12 | W 12 | — | — | — | NNW 10 | — | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | — | N 9 |
— | 1 | 48 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | W 9 | — | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | SSW 3 | S 4 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | W 5 | W 10 | WNW 9 |
230 | 157 | — | 9 | 12 | 621 | 428 | 800 | 9 | 42 | 3585 | 2020 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 10 | 55 | 824 | 543 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 523 | 413 | 0 | 645 | 389 | 26 | 16 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 422 | 165 | 375 |
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.










