Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Beach surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, W swell with 5,873 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with N 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. 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 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break this down. First up, we’ve got a long run of poor conditions ahead, with a big gap before anything really gets interesting. The first decent sniff of a wave isn’t until Thursday the 4th of September, and even then it’s a matter of picking your moment.
The overall pattern is dominated by lumpy, choppy cross-shore winds and a lot of surf that’s just not holding together. The swell energy during the first few days is weak to moderate, with combined energy values sitting between 70 and 170 — barely enough to get excited about, and the wind is all wrong. For the first few days, it’s a write-off.
Now, the standout. Thursday the 4th of September afternoon offers a big pulse: 13ft swell from the W, with a period of 10 seconds. Combined energy is a massive 3341 — that’s strong, meaty energy. But here’s the thing: at Thurso Beach, this is way too big for most. The score is high for experienced surfers only, and the wind is cross-shore, making it lumpy. If you’re an expert and you like a challenge, this is your window. Beginners, stay on the sand.
Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th have some size but the wind stays messy. Sunday the 6th afternoon sees the wind swing offshore from the S at 12 mph, with a tiny 3ft swell – clean, but tiny.
Then we hit a real gem: Wednesday morning, the 9th of September. Glassy conditions with a 10ft swell from the NNW, period of 9 seconds, and combined energy of 1619. The wind is dead calm — glassy. This is the pick of the whole forecast for experienced surfers. The waves will be powerful and clean, but that size and short period will make it dumpy and heavy. This is a real eyes-open session for the brave.
After that, the surf drops away fast. From the 10th through the 16th, it’s mostly small, weak, and wind-affected. The combined energy dips below 300 and stays there, with many days under 100. There’s a faint glimmer on the 14th – a 4ft, 11-second west swell with light offshore wind – but it’s only a ‘good surf’ rating, nothing to lose sleep over.
So to sum it up: don’t bother until Thursday the 4th of September afternoon if you’re an expert looking for a beast. The real standout, the one to mark on your calendar, is Wednesday the 9th of September morning – glassy, 10ft, clean. That’s your day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue morning, light winds from the ENE by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu night, min 11°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the SSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | WSW 9 | W 12 | W 10 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 33 | 148 | 195 | 866 | 880 | 596 | 262 | 157 | 227 | 1794 | 3330 | 5873 | 2112 | 923 | 343 | 144 | 96 | 162 | 1275 | 1062 | 586 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | W 12 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | N 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | ESE 7 | W 9 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 33 | 22 | 21 | 866 | 880 | 596 | 262 | 157 | 148 | 20 | 11 | — | — | 5 | 343 | 144 | 96 | 162 | 5 | 1062 | 586 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SE 5 | N 13 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SE 5 | W 7 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | N 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | SE 7 | N 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 26 | 1 | 3 | 100 | 43 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 68 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 28 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | — | SE 6 | — | — | N 11 | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 11 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | W 6 | WNW 7 | — | — | SE 4 | W 4 | W 5 | WSW 9 | W 12 | W 10 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | SE 4 | SSE 4 | S 4 | W 9 | — | SSW 3 |
| kJ | 12 | 148 | 195 | — | — | 19 | 25 | 22 | 227 | 1794 | 3330 | 5873 | 2112 | 923 | — | 21 | 14 | 38 | 1275 | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 595 | 413 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 141 | 0 | 1091 | 618 | 755 | 422 | 418 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 184 | 165 | 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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