Thurso Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Beach sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.9° 

Thurso Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thurso Beach surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 25ft (7.5m), 14s period, W swell with 21,874 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period with WNW 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Beach in the next 16 days are 7.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Sun 13th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 11s
Best Surf10PM (Thu 17th Sep)13ft (4.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 1AM (Sun 20th Sep)25ft (7.5m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

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.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Tue night, light winds from the SSW by Wed night).

Sat
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
!
!
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
WNW
13
3
WNW
12
2
WNW
11
1.7
WNW
10
1.2
WNW
10
0.9
NNW
12
0.9
NNW
12
1.2
W
11
1
W
11
2.3
NW
6
1.8
NNW
6
1.8
NNW
8
1.3
W
11
1.4
NNW
9
1.6
W
8
2
W
8
4.5
WNW
15
4
WNW
14
3
WNW
13
3
W
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3441
2067
938
607
282
250
228
317
220
375
246
373
379
318
339
542
8347
5808
3193
2590
Wind (km/h)
40
WNW
20
W
15
WSW
5
NW
15
SSE
20
S
10
SW
10
E
10
W
35
NW
35
NW
30
NW
30
WNW
20
SSE
35
W
30
W
25
W
25
SW
30
SSW
30
SW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
10:14PM5.32m
10:45AM4.94m
10:49PM5.21m
11:16AM4.81m
11:23PM5.00m
11:47AM4.64m
11:58PM4.71m
12:19PM4.44m
00:35AM4.38m
12:56PM4.22m
1:21AM4.04m
1:43PM4.00m
2:27AM3.75m
Low Tide
4:05PM1.28m
4:31AM0.90m
4:40PM1.32m
5:06AM1.09m
5:15PM1.44m
5:39AM1.36m
5:50PM1.64m
6:12AM1.69m
6:27PM1.89m
6:47AM2.04m
7:09PM2.16m
7:27AM2.38m
8:04PM2.43m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:39
6:41
6:43
6:46
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:44
7:40
7:37
7:35
7:31
7:29
7:25
 mm
1
11
4
4
1
4
1
1
Temp °C
14
12
14
14
14
18
17
14
14
12
12
10
11
10
13
13
12
13
14
13
Feels °C
7
7
10
12
10
15
16
13
12
6
7
3
4
5
6
7
7
6
8
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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