Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Thurso Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the start of this run is a bit of a let-down. We’re looking at a solid gap with no real surf to get excited about from the 28th of August right through to the afternoon of the 2nd of September. The swell is tiny, the wind is messy, and the wave comment says it all – poor conditions. You’d be wasting your time paddling out.

Things start to shift on the afternoon of the 2nd. The swell jumps to 1.5m from the NNW with a period of 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind goes light and cross-off, cleaning it right up, and the combined energy is a solid moderate 624. It’s the first real sign of life, but it’s still only a 2-out-of-10 score, so keep your expectations in check.

The next morning, Thursday the 3rd, sees clean conditions again with light cross-off wind and 0.9m of N swell at 10 seconds. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon lifts a little with clean lines, but still nothing to shout about.

Now, 5th September is the day that stands out – but only for the right crowd. Saturday morning we’ve got a massive 4.0m of WNW groundswell, period 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a whopping 3578 – that is very strong. The wind is cross-off and clean. This is pure, raw power. If you are a confident, experienced surfer, this is your window. For beginners, it’s a no-go – way too big. The afternoon drops slightly to 3.5m, still huge, but the same clean conditions hold.

The morning of 8th September looks like another real highlight. We’ve got 1.8m of NW swell with an 11-second period – lovely groundswell – and the wind is glassy, just dead calm. That’s about as clean as it gets. The energy is a strong 830. This is the one I’d be circling on the calendar. The combination of size, direction, and perfect offshore conditions will make for some memorable, clean waves.

After that, things get messy again with onshore winds and choppy conditions through the second week. There are pulses of swell, like the 1.7m on the 10th and the 1.5m on the 11th, but the wind just ruins it. The 12th of September has a 1.4m N swell at 11 seconds, but again, onshore wind makes it lumpy. Nothing worth rushing out for.

So for the best bets: If you’re charging, you cannot miss the 5th of September – it’s a big, clean groundswell day. For the majority of us, the real standout is the morning of 8th September. Glassy conditions and a solid 1.8m of NW swell. That’s the one.

Read more