Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s your boy Rusty here, looking at the Thurso Beach stretch for the next couple of weeks. Grab a coffee, this one takes a bit of a journey.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a bit of a write-off for a decent paddle. Monday the 31st of August starts with tiny 1ft mush from the west and a 9-second period, but the 3 mph cross-off wind keeps it clean. The afternoon gets a bit more size, up to 3ft, but that 4-second windswell is junk and a 19 mph cross-wind chops it up. Tuesday the 1st of September isn't much better; morning has a clean 2ft W swell with a solid offshore from the SSW at 22 mph, but it’s just too small. That afternoon bumps up to 5ft, but the period is a terrible 6 seconds, and that cross-wind makes it lumpy. We’re looking at a gap of poor to marginal conditions until things start to show a bit of promise.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is where we start to see some real energy. The morning shows a 6ft swell from the NNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is already a solid 679 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore, but it’s not ideal. The afternoon is the real standout for the first week: a clean 6ft NW groundswell, period pushing to 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to 688. The wind is a clean 12 mph cross-off from the SE, which is a good sign. This is the best of the early window – clean, solid, and a good size for intermediate surfers. It’s a bit big for beginners at 6ft though.

The 4th of September brings a big change. Early Friday morning we get a 7ft W swell with a long 12-second period, and the energy is 1075 (strong). The wind is a fresh offshore from the SSE, 19 mph, so it’ll be clean. The problem? By Friday afternoon, it’s a monster: 11ft from the west, 12-second period, and the energy is a whopping 3743 (very strong). That is expert-only territory, and with a 22 mph cross-off wind, it’s going to be a beast. Saturday the 5th sees the swell drop to 10ft in the morning, but it’s a shorter 8-second period and a lumpy cross-wind. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a fun paddle.

The middle of the week from the 6th to the 8th is a bit of a letdown. Sunday the 6th has a clean 4ft swell in the morning with a cross-off wind, but the period is only 8 seconds. The afternoon is a bit better with a clean, gentle offshore 3ft swell, but it’s ordinary. The 8th of September is a similar story: a clean 4ft swell with a 7-second period in the afternoon, but nothing to get excited about.

Then we get a spike again on Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning brings an 8ft WNW swell with a 10-second period, and the energy is a strong 1140. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s rideable. The afternoon gets messy with a 19 mph cross-wind, so the morning is the call that day.

The second week from the 10th of September onwards is a bit of a bust. The 10th and 11th are blown out by strong onshore and cross-onshore winds from the NW, and the swell is small and weak. The 12th and 13th are a bit cleaner but the swell is dropping fast, with the 13th seeing only 3ft and 2ft for the day. The 14th of September is a glassy day with a faint 2ft groundswell, and the 15th of September glimmers with a 3ft, 12-second W groundswell and glassy conditions in the morning. That’s a far-off promise, but it’s clean and worth keeping an eye on if the forecast holds.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for the whole run is Wednesday afternoon the 2nd of September, with that clean 6ft groundswell. The runners-up are the Friday morning (4th) for the big, clean 7ft swell, and the Wednesday morning (9th) for the 8ft swell. The rest is a lot of waiting and watching.

Stay safe, check the tides, and I’ll see you in the water.

Rusty.

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