Thurso East Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.61° N 3.50° W

Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 03 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso East sea temperature is
13.7°C
0.8° 

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


Thurso East surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, W swell with 9,187 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period with WNW 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Thurso East in the next 16 days are 6.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore 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 04) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sun 6th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 9s
Best Surf 1AM (Sun 6th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 4PM (Fri 4th Sep)20ft (6.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here with the long-range look at Thurso East.

Right off the bat, things are looking grim. We've got plenty of swell in the water over the next few days, but the wind is absolutely howling from the west and southwest, which is just about the worst direction for this place. It's blown out, lumpy, and frankly, not worth paddling out for. This grim run of weather lasts right through the first week of the month. There’s a tiny, tiny window early on Sunday the 6th with some light offshore wind, giving us a clean but small 3ft swell. It's surfable, but really just a consolation prize.

The real story starts to build from Thursday the 10th. It’s still small, but the wind finally drops out. Thursday morning brings a light cross-off breeze and a super clean 3ft wave from the north. Then things get interesting. Friday the 12th of September is the first true standout. The morning has glassy conditions and a clean 7ft swell from the west. But it's the afternoon that gets me excited: a clean 10ft west-northwest swell with a light cross-off breeze. The energy is pumping, and it's going to be perfect for experienced surfers.

Saturday the 13th is another big day, with a 10ft groundswell from the west-northwest. The period is a massive 11 seconds, bringing serious power. The wind is light, but onshore in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon. This long-period swell will be drawing lines beautifully down the point, just be aware that these big, organized swells can jack up and close out at the river mouth if you're not in the right spot.

The following Tuesday the 15th of September is a monster, but a serious caveat. We're looking at a massive 18ft west-northwest swell with a 16-second period, giving us wild, raw energy. The wind is only moderate cross-onshore, but this is simply too much size for Thurso East. Only absolute experts on the biggest of days should even consider it, and even then, the conditions will be borderline chaotic.

Beyond that, the second week looks less promising with onshore winds and messy conditions returning. The water temp is sitting around 57°, which is pretty standard for this time of year.

Overall, keep your powder dry for the 12th and 13th of September. That's where the magic is hiding.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the SSE on Sun morning, near gales from the WSW by Mon night).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
W
6
1.4
W
7
1.1
W
7
2.2
W
10
6
W
12
4
WNW
9
3
WNW
8
2.1
W
10
1.5
WNW
9
0.9
WNW
8
1.1
W
8
0.9
W
10
1.8
W
6
2.2
W
7
1.9
W
8
1.8
NW
9
1.6
NNW
10
2.1
NNW
10
2
WNW
9
2
WNW
8
1.4
WNW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
273
176
123
1040
9187
2369
1165
914
337
96
165
148
252
507
443
542
512
886
586
523
214
Wind (km/h)
35
W
25
WSW
20
SSW
35
SW
60
W
50
WNW
35
WNW
20
W
10
S
20
SSE
25
S
30
SW
40
WSW
40
WSW
50
WSW
50
WNW
50
WNW
45
NW
30
NW
20
WNW
5
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
on
on
on
on
on
glassy
High Tide
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
7:23AM4.42m
7:29PM4.65m
8:16AM4.69m
8:17PM4.95m
Low Tide
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
1:20PM1.99m
1:50AM1.36m
2:08PM1.71m
2:35AM1.05m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:18
6:22
6:24
6:26
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:09
8:07
8:04
8:00
7:58
7:54
7:52
 mm
1
1
2
7
3
3
Temp °C
16
16
13
14
13
13
13
14
13
15
19
17
15
14
11
11
11
11
12
12
11
Feels °C
10
11
9
7
2
3
6
10
10
11
16
13
7
6
1
1
0
2
6
7
9
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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 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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