Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with 2,600 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break down the 16-day window for Thurso Beach. It’s a classic tale of a slow start and a sharp, short-lived peak.
The first week is totally flat. From Monday the 3rd straight through to the morning of Sunday the 9th, it’s a washout. The swell is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and the rain is relentless. There’s a pulse of 1.6m on Wednesday the 5th, but it’s a short-period, messy NE windswell with a cross-onshore kick, so it’s just lumpy and rain-soaked. The combined energy barely gets into the low hundreds, often sitting under 100 (26-440). Don’t even bother.
Then things get interesting. Sunday the 9th morning sees a big jump – 3.0m (that’s 10 ft) from the WNW with a 10-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and the energy is strong (1831). It’s a marginal call, with questionable tide conditions, so it’s a proper challenge for experts only. The real standout, though, is Monday the 10th.
Monday the 10th is the best day on offer. The morning is clean with a gentle cross-off breeze from the WSW, and the swell is a solid 3.0m (10 ft) from the WNW. The combined energy is strong at 1624. The wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers, and I’d back that. The period is a touch short at 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit punchy and fast, but the cleanliness makes it a real treat. The afternoon gets a bit gnarly; the swell pushes to 3.5m (12 ft), but the wind swings onshore from the north, and the forecast says it’s too big for this break. So, the morning window is the one.
After that, the week drops off fast. Tuesday the 11th has some small 1.3m (4 ft) surfable waves with clean offshore winds, but it’s very ordinary. The rest of the second week is flat and poor, with virtually no swell and lumpy onshore winds. The energy levels drop to single digits and low double digits. There’s a little blip on Monday the 17th with 1.1m (4 ft) surfable waves, but the conditions are meh, and Tuesday the 18th morning has a clean offshore breeze for some 0.9m (3 ft) waves, but it’s nothing to get excited about.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a full bust. The only window is Monday 10th August, early morning. That’s the one. Set your alarm, get the big board out, and be ready for a solid, clean, powerful swell. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Wed afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Mon morning, fresh winds from the ESE by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, strong winds from the W by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | E 5 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 230 | 186 | 140 | 86 | 63 | 124 | 167 | 181 | 132 | 97 | 51 | 16 | 31 | 133 | 299 | 421 | 299 | 1047 | 1831 | 1055 | 465 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | 5:55AM4.19m | 6:32PM4.36m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | 12:22PM2.08m | 1:01AM1.85m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |  | |
 | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:16 |
mm | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 11 | W 10 | E 6 | W 10 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 9 | W 9 | NW 13 | — | — | NNW 10 |
| kJ | 230 | 186 | 140 | 86 | 63 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 51 | 14 | 31 | 133 | 299 | 17 | 299 | 83 | — | — | 246 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 11 | — | W 11 | NE 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 5 | N 6 | NNW 11 | SE 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 18 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | 17 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 13 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | — | — | W 11 | E 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | N 6 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NW 5 | — | SSE 3 | S 3 | S 4 | W 9 | — | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 7 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 4 | 22 | 87 | 124 | 167 | 181 | 132 | 97 | 12 | — | 1 | 5 | 18 | 421 | — | 1047 | 1831 | 1055 | 465 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 426 | 178 | 100 | 106 | 1678 | 94 | 71 | 294 | 8 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 165 | 170 | 645 | 595 | 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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