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Surf Forecasts:
Thurso East surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period, W swell with 482 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thurso East this week:
The surf forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso East in the next 16 days are 1.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, grab a brew, settle in. Let's talk about Thurso East. This is a long, cold look ahead, and honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag. We're looking at a classic Scottish setup—when it's on, it's world-class, but patience is the name of the game.
The first week is a bit of a write-off, I'm not gonna lie. The surf is tiny and the wind is a constant battle. We've got a few days of flat, choppy nonsense from the 17th right through until the 24th. There's a small pulse on the 19th, with a 4ft west swell, but the wind is all over the shop, so it's not going to be worth the paddle out. The water is sitting at 57°F, which is about average for this time of year, but it's still going to feel crisp.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday the 25th morning. Now, this is where it gets interesting. We've got a solid 4ft west swell rolling in, with a long period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 289, and the wind is light and cross-off from the SSW. That's a clean, organised look. The swell is a bit small for the experts, but it's a proper point break wave, so it'll have some shape. It's not a standout, but it's the first decent chance we've had.
Hold on, because the real standout is shaping up for the end of the month. Mark your calendar for Saturday the 29th morning. The north-northwest swell is pushing 6ft, and the combined energy is strong at 416. The wind is light and offshore from the SE. That's a recipe for perfection at this point. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it won't be a groundswell, but with that offshore wind, it'll be clean and punchy. This is your best window. Get a pass and get in the water.
After that, things get a bit wild. The 1st of September kicks off with a massive 10ft northwest swell, with an enormous combined energy of 1248. That's a big, powerful groundswell, but it's for experts only. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it might be a bit thumping, but if you've got the skills, that's a serious session.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a dud. The 25th is a decent warm-up, but the 29th of August is the clear winner. The 1st of September is for the big dogs only. Stay patient, Scotland.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Mon night, light winds from the ESE by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | W 9 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 6 | N 7 | WNW 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 38 | 41 | 23 | 14 | 17 | 282 | 387 | 272 | 226 | 149 | 143 | 160 | 131 | 139 | 92 | 79 | 189 | 130 | 56 | 75 | 29 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:44PM3.95m | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | 4:38AM3.72m | 5:18PM3.86m | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | 8:23AM2.27m | 8:51PM2.49m | 9:29AM2.54m | 10:25PM2.60m | 11:03AM2.65m | 00:01AM2.49m | 12:23PM2.55m | 1:05AM2.25m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — |
 | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:39 | — |
mm | — | — | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | ESE 5 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | NE 7 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | W 10 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 8 |
| kJ | 38 | 38 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 282 | 387 | 272 | 141 | 71 | 44 | 25 | 23 | 2 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 20 | 56 | 32 | 29 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | — | — | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | — | W 8 | W 8 | — | W 10 | WNW 9 | NE 5 | N 7 |
| kJ | 13 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 6 | 5 | — | 10 | 6 | — | 2 | 15 | 1 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | W 8 | ESE 5 | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 31 | 7 | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 5 | W 3 | — | ENE 4 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | — | — | 6 | 56 | 3 | — | 7 | 79 | 226 | 149 | 143 | 160 | 131 | 139 | 92 | 79 | 189 | 130 | 48 | 75 | 22 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 8 | 42 | 17 | 29 | 0 | 228 | 358 | 361 | 757 | 286 | 192 | 72 | 255 | 17 | 314 | 295 | 295 | 1 | 295 | 29 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thurso East Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thurso East provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thurso East can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thurso East 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 East) 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 East 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 East, 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 and Kirkwall, 52 km (32 miles) away.
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