Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down the next 16 days for Thurso Beach.

To be honest, it's a pretty grim stretch overall. There's plenty of size coming, but the wind is almost always from the wrong angle, making it choppy and lumpy. The water is sitting about 56°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first bit of surf shows up on Sunday the 19th, but it's a write-off. It's a 4ft WNW swell with a super short 4-second period, meaning it's weak and gutless. The energy is low (111), and the wind is a fresh cross-shore. It's lumpy and messy. Not worth it.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are more of the same. The swell builds, but so does the wind. By Tuesday afternoon, we've got 7ft of messy cross-chop, and the energy is climbing (518), but with a strong breeze on it, it's just a mess. Don't bother.

The first tiny sign of hope comes on Saturday the 25th in the afternoon. The swell is a solid 8ft from the WNW with an 11-second period, and the energy is getting very strong (1172). The wind eases a bit to a moderate cross-shore. It's still only marginal, but it's the best we've seen so far. The crowd factor is "sometimes," so you might see a few others, but it's not packed.

Sunday the 26th morning is another one to keep an eye on. It's 7ft from the WNW, long period at 10 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-offshore, which means it's actually clean. The energy is strong (856). The wind is still a fresh breeze, so it might be a little lumpy, but it's the cleanest wave of the whole outlook. Monday the 27th morning is very similar – 8ft, 10 seconds, clean with a cross-offshore breeze, and very strong energy (1131). This is the best window right here.

After that, things get huge and dangerous. On Tuesday the 28th, the swell goes ballistic. We're talking 20ft from the WNW with a 12-second period. The energy is insane (9373). That's for experts only, and with a fresh cross-shore, it's going to be a chaotic, dangerous mess. By Wednesday the 29th, it drops to 10ft, but the wind is a near gale cross-onshore, so it's completely blown out.

The last few days of July and into August, the swell fades but the wind stays onshore or cross-shore. It's just a long run of poor conditions. The 30th and 31st both have 7ft to 8ft but with strong cross-onshore winds. Not good.

The real standout for the whole period, if you want a clean wave, is the Monday morning of the 27th of July. The cross-offshore wind and the 8ft WNW swell with a long period will give you the best chance of a decent, clean session. The Saturday morning of the 26th is a close second. For the rest of it, you're fighting the wind. If you're a kitesurfer, a lot of these days with the strong cross-shore wind and big lumpy swell will look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it's a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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