Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, W swell with 326 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with W 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s is also forecast. 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 1.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Thurso Beach.
It’s been a bit quiet out there this week. The bulk of the first week and a half is looking pretty average, with mostly cross-onshore winds and weak swell energy. The wait for something half decent goes right through to Tuesday the 14th. But then we get a couple of real standouts.
Thursday morning the 9th is the first glimmer of hope. You’ll find surfable waves but conditions are very ordinary, with a clean 4ft swell from the west and glassy winds from the south at just 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 216. For a beginner-friendly spot with fair consistency, at least it’s rideable.
Now, Tuesday morning the 14th is where it gets interesting. The water is about average for the time of year at 54°. We’ve got a clean 4ft west-northwest swell coming in with a period of 10 seconds, so there’s some decent shape there. The best part? Glassy conditions – no wind at all from the north-northeast, just 3 mph. That means clean, smooth waves. Combined energy is a solid 274. It won’t be too big for beginners at that size, and with a bit of consistency, it’s the one to aim for.
Monday morning the 20th – now this is a standout for the experts. The swell jumps up to 7ft from the north, with a short period of 8 seconds, so it’s a bit dumpy. It’s over 8ft? No – just under, so still big, but not extreme. The wind is calm and glassy, so the surface will be perfect. There’s very strong wave energy at 660, but this setup at a beach break with short-period north swell could actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling, especially as it’s a beach. If you’re a competent surfer, though, get on it early.
Other than these, there’s a lot of poor surf, choppy conditions, and onshore wind. The blank run through the middle of the period is rough – from the afternoon of the 14th right through to the 19th, there’s very little to get excited about.
Keep an eye on Tuesday the 21st morning – glassy again, but only 4ft from the north with a very short period of 6 seconds. Not going to hold up well, but if you’re desperate, it’s clean.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 106 | 106 | 282 | 196 | 299 | 180 | 99 | 326 | 273 | 273 | 212 | 162 | 84 | 58 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 150 | 260 | 318 | 240 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | off | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | 4:44AM4.32m | 5:39PM4.30m | 5:57AM4.37m | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | 8:36PM4.92m | 9:14AM4.82m | 9:27PM5.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | 11:26AM1.91m | 00:02AM2.14m | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | 2:27PM1.53m | 2:58AM1.22m | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:20 | — | — | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:26 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:16 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | — | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:10 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 |
| kJ | 106 | 106 | 282 | 196 | 299 | 180 | 99 | 326 | 273 | 273 | 212 | 162 | 84 | 58 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 150 | 260 | 318 | 240 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | WNW 12 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | E 7 | E 6 | W 14 | W 7 | W 19 | — | W 18 |
| kJ | 15 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 49 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 7 | — | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 21 | E 7 | E 7 | W 19 | — | W 18 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 5 | — | SSE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 6 | — |
| kJ | 37 | 69 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 31 | 71 | 1 | 26 | 31 | 0 | 24 | 191 | 24 | 31 | 191 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
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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