Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at Thurso Beach. It’s looking like a classic North Coast run of swells, but with a lot of wind and size to work through. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty much bang on for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The surf’s going to be a no-go for the first few days, so don’t bother paddling out on Saturday the 12th. There’s a 8ft WNW swell with a solid 13-second period, but the wind is howling from the SW at 22 mph, making for a lumpy mess. It’s a “marginal” call at best. The combined swell energy is high (2219), but the quality is just not there. Saturday afternoon is even worse, with 10ft and cross-shore wind.

Sunday the 13th is where things start to look up. The morning has a 7ft WNW swell (979 energy) with a WSW breeze at 9 mph, keeping it clean. It’s a little big for beginners at over 5ft, but for the average surfer it’s a decent paddle. The real standout is Sunday afternoon: the wind drops to 3 mph from the north and the ocean goes glassy. You’ve got 6ft of WNW swell at 10 seconds – not the longest period, but that clean face will make for some fun, smooth lines. This is the pick of the first week.

Monday the 14th offers a smaller window. Morning has a 3ft NNW swell with a 12-second period and offshore wind from the south at 12 mph. It’s clean, but the energy is low (385). The afternoon picks up to 5ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the wind swings to a light offshore from the SSW at 3 mph. It’ll be clean and maybe a little gutless, but rideable.

Tuesday the 15th is a write-off – the wind is up again (19 mph from W) and it’s cross-shore with lumpy chop. The swell hits 7ft but it’s messy. The rest of the week from Wednesday the 16th through to Friday the 18th morning is a mix of onshore wind and building size. The swell on Friday morning the 18th is 12ft at 13 seconds from WNW (4318 energy), and the wind is cross-off from the WSW at 19 mph – it’s clean, but at that size, it’s only for experienced surfers. It’s a serious step up.

The second week is all about massive, stormy swell. Saturday the 19th sees 10–12ft from the west, and the wind is strong cross-off. It’s too big for most. Sunday the 20th is a full-blown gale with 15ft at 14 seconds (8559 energy) and a howling cross-shore wind. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. Monday the 21st has 18ft WNW at 11 seconds (7716 energy) with clean offshore wind, but again, that’s big-wave only. Tuesday the 22nd has a solid 13ft WNW at 12 seconds (4213 energy), but the afternoon looks excellent for experienced surfers – 10ft WNW at 11 seconds with a light offshore from the SSE at 12 mph. The combined energy is 2548, and it’ll be a powerful, clean session for anyone who knows what they’re doing. That’s the standout of the second week, but it’s still a long-range call.

After that, the swell drops fast, with 5ft on Wednesday the 23rd and smaller clean waves on Thursday the 24th, but the size is back up to 28ft in the morning – far too big for any sane paddle-out. The last few days of the run taper off with 3–10ft swells and a lot of wind, so it’s either too big or too choppy to commit.

Best of the lot? That glassy Sunday afternoon the 13th is the one to circle. If you’re an experienced surfer, the Tuesday afternoon the 22nd looks like it’ll be pumping and clean, but keep an eye on it – forecasts can shift.

Rusty.

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