Thurso Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 13 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Beach sea temperature is
13.3° C
0.1° 

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 13 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, N swell with 321 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 12s period with WSW 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 (Aug 13) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Thu 13th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 12s
Best Surf 7AM (Thu 13th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 12s
Most Powerful10PM (Wed 19th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at what Thurso Beach has on offer over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and you’re going to need some patience.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Wednesday the 12th. It’s a tiny little thing, with a 2-foot swell rolling in from the west. The period is a long 11 seconds, so there’s some groundswell in there, but the combined wave energy is weak (90). What makes it worth a mention is that it’s absolutely glassy – no wind at all – so for a beginner to intermediate session on a longboard, it’ll be clean and fun, just don't expect any power. Water temperature is about average for this time of year at 56°.

Thursday the 13th is much the same story. Another glassy morning with a tiny 1-foot swell from the WSW (61 energy), then a bit of an afternoon bump to 2 feet from the west (97 energy). The calm conditions are the real saviour here; it’s surfable but you’ll be scratching for waves.

Now, from Friday the 14th through to Tuesday the 18th, things go a bit pear-shaped. We get some lumpy, cross-shore winds and a messy, short-period chop. The swell does bump up a touch on the 15th, hitting 5 feet, but with 19 mph cross-shore winds, the quality is poor. I wouldn’t bother. There’s a 5-6 day lull in any decent conditions.

Hold on for Wednesday the 19th. This is our standout. The afternoon looks promising: the swell builds to 5 feet from the north (329 energy), and best of all, the wind goes glassy again. That’s a major positive. The period is a modest 8 seconds, so it won’t have the grunt of a groundswell, but for a beach break, it should be clean and fun. It’s a good option for intermediate surfers, but at 5 feet it might be a little too much for absolute beginners.

After that, it’s a bit of a letdown. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st get blown out by strong onshore winds, with swell mixing in a messy cross-chop up to 5 feet. The rest of the run into late August is mostly small, weak, and chopped up. There’s a brief clean spell on Sunday the 23rd with a 2-foot west swell (74 energy) and light offshore winds, but it’s tiny.

The standout is Wednesday the 19th afternoon at Thurso Beach. It’s the only window where the waves have a bit of size and the conditions are clean. The swell direction is north, and the calm wind will make it glassy. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but keep in mind crowds are sometimes an issue, so get out there early if you can.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the W by Sat morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
WSW
11
0.5
W
11
0.6
W
10
0.8
W
10
1.2
W
5
1.3
W
6
1.2
W
6
1.2
W
8
1.2
WNW
8
0.9
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
7
0.7
N
7
0.7
N
8
0.6
N
8
0.7
E
6
0.4
NNE
7
0.4
NNE
7
0.3
NNE
6
1.6
NE
6
1.5
NNE
8
1.8
N
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
43
58
73
122
66
101
89
195
207
104
73
54
61
44
30
18
18
8
144
240
320
Wind (km/h)
0
SSW
5
N
15
SSE
20
WNW
25
W
25
W
25
W
25
WNW
15
NNW
5
NNW
10
N
5
ESE
20
SE
10
SE
10
ESE
10
SSE
10
SE
15
NE
20
NNW
25
NNW
20
NW
Wind State
glassy
on
off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
9:57AM4.97m
9:59PM5.31m
10:39AM4.99m
10:40PM5.35m
11:18AM4.92m
11:19PM5.28m
11:55AM4.77m
11:57PM5.10m
12:32PM4.57m
00:36AM4.83m
1:10PM4.35m
1:17AM4.51m
1:52PM4.13m
2:06AM4.17m
Low Tide
3:48PM1.37m
4:17AM0.79m
4:28PM1.34m
4:58AM0.82m
5:07PM1.40m
5:37AM0.98m
5:45PM1.53m
6:16AM1.25m
6:23PM1.74m
6:55AM1.57m
7:03PM1.99m
7:36AM1.93m
7:49PM2.25m
light rain
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light rain
light rain
cloud
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light rain
heavy rain
rain showers
part cloud
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:28
5:31
5:33
5:35
5:37
5:39
5:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:07
9:05
9:01
8:59
8:57
8:53
8:51
 mm
1
6
1
5
2
1
16
1
Temp °C
21
18
17
17
16
14
14
14
12
12
12
11
12
12
13
14
15
13
13
13
12
Feels °C
22
19
16
12
12
10
9
9
9
11
9
10
8
10
12
13
14
11
8
8
8
  • 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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