Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what Thurso Beach has on offer over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and you’re going to need some patience.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Wednesday the 12th. It’s a tiny little thing, with a 2-foot swell rolling in from the west. The period is a long 11 seconds, so there’s some groundswell in there, but the combined wave energy is weak (90). What makes it worth a mention is that it’s absolutely glassy – no wind at all – so for a beginner to intermediate session on a longboard, it’ll be clean and fun, just don't expect any power. Water temperature is about average for this time of year at 56°.

Thursday the 13th is much the same story. Another glassy morning with a tiny 1-foot swell from the WSW (61 energy), then a bit of an afternoon bump to 2 feet from the west (97 energy). The calm conditions are the real saviour here; it’s surfable but you’ll be scratching for waves.

Now, from Friday the 14th through to Tuesday the 18th, things go a bit pear-shaped. We get some lumpy, cross-shore winds and a messy, short-period chop. The swell does bump up a touch on the 15th, hitting 5 feet, but with 19 mph cross-shore winds, the quality is poor. I wouldn’t bother. There’s a 5-6 day lull in any decent conditions.

Hold on for Wednesday the 19th. This is our standout. The afternoon looks promising: the swell builds to 5 feet from the north (329 energy), and best of all, the wind goes glassy again. That’s a major positive. The period is a modest 8 seconds, so it won’t have the grunt of a groundswell, but for a beach break, it should be clean and fun. It’s a good option for intermediate surfers, but at 5 feet it might be a little too much for absolute beginners.

After that, it’s a bit of a letdown. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st get blown out by strong onshore winds, with swell mixing in a messy cross-chop up to 5 feet. The rest of the run into late August is mostly small, weak, and chopped up. There’s a brief clean spell on Sunday the 23rd with a 2-foot west swell (74 energy) and light offshore winds, but it’s tiny.

The standout is Wednesday the 19th afternoon at Thurso Beach. It’s the only window where the waves have a bit of size and the conditions are clean. The swell direction is north, and the calm wind will make it glassy. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but keep in mind crowds are sometimes an issue, so get out there early if you can.

Rusty.

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