Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, N swell with 321 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period with WSW 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the 16-day outlook for Thurso Beach.
Right off the bat, the first few days are a real struggle. We’ve got a couple of tiny, weak ones on the morning of the 13th – 1ft of swell from the WSW with period around 11 seconds, and the energy is only 61. It’s glassy, but there’s practically nothing to ride. That sets the tone for a long dry spell. From Thursday the 13th all the way through to early Friday the 21st, we’re in a major surf drought with nothing to get excited about. There’s a lot of wind with it too, mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, making a mess of the small, weak swell that’s around. It’s a proper blank run.
Now, things finally start to show a pulse on Friday morning, the 21st of August. The wind turns light and cross-off from the WSW, cleaning things right up. Swell comes up to 5ft from the NNW, with a period of 8 seconds and moderate energy of 293. The guidance calls this one a standout. For a beginner-friendly spot like Thurso Beach, 5ft is getting towards the top end, so it’s more for those with a bit of experience under their belt, but with that clean wind and the NNW swell, it’ll be the best we’ve seen.
There's also a looker late on Sunday the 23rd. A 5ft pulse from the NNW rolls in, and it’s glassy – complete calm. The energy jumps to 393. That’s a serious run of clean surf for a spot that's been flat and choppy for over a week. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it has the makings of a proper session.
Apart from those two windows, the rest of the forecast is small, windy, or both. The Tuesday the 26th and Thursday the 28th have occasional clean conditions but with swell dropping to 1ft to 2ft, there’s just no power to work with. Not worth getting wet for.
Overall, your best bets are the clean morning of Friday the 21st and the glassy Sunday afternoon on the 23rd. Otherwise, the Caithness coast is looking quiet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the W by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | E 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | N 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 43 | 58 | 73 | 122 | 66 | 101 | 89 | 195 | 207 | 104 | 73 | 54 | 61 | 44 | 30 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 144 | 240 | 320 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:57AM4.97m | 9:59PM5.31m | 10:39AM4.99m | 10:40PM5.35m | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:48PM1.37m | 4:17AM0.79m | 4:28PM1.34m | 4:58AM0.82m | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | |  |  | | | |
 | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:01 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:51 | — |
mm | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 16 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 22 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | W 9 | N 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | W 8 | ESE 6 | WSW 13 |
| kJ | 43 | 58 | 73 | 43 | 45 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 207 | 104 | 73 | 54 | 61 | 44 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 54 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | N 10 | N 10 | SE 6 | SE 5 | E 5 | N 9 | N 9 | NW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 6 | 34 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 21 | 51 | 63 | 34 | 8 | 26 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | W 5 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | — | N 9 | W 10 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 17 | — |
| kJ | 12 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | — | 26 | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 3 | E 5 | NE 6 | NNE 8 | N 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 122 | 66 | 101 | 89 | 195 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 52 | 30 | 10 | 2 | 64 | 144 | 240 | 320 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 901 | 728 | 595 | 770 | 89 | 16 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 24 | 209 | 27 | 94 | 71 |
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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