Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The charts are firing up some serious swell for Thurso East, but it’s all coming in with a brutal cross-onshore or onshore wind. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for clean, rideable waves. The setup is a classic point break, getting slammed by a lot of energy, but that wind is just shredding it. There’s a gap of no good surf right from the start, and it doesn't let up.

We kick off on Sunday the 19th of July. The water temp is sitting about 56°, which is pretty standard for this time of year. First up, a weak 4ft swell from the WNW with a snappy 4-second period. Combined energy is a low 118 – barely a pulse. But it’s a cross-onshore 19 mph wind, making it a lumpy, messy mess.

Moving into Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st, the swell picks up to 6ft and 7ft, but the period drops to 6-8 seconds. The wind is howling from the WNW at 25 mph; that’s a strong breeze, and it's churning up big, messy, blown-out conditions. Energy climbs to 309, then 518, but it’s all for nothing.

Midweek, Wednesday the 22nd through Friday the 24th, the WNW swell sticks around between 5ft and 8ft. The wind stays relentless, 16 to 25 mph, all cross-onshore. The combined energy gets up to 868 on Friday afternoon, but the comment is "strong cross-onshore and messy." The waves are there, but it’s a battle. For a point break, you need that offshore wind to groom it, and we’re just not getting it.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th of July brings a bigger WNW groundswell, up to 8ft with a long 11-second period. The energy is thumping at 1172 on Saturday afternoon. This is the kind of swell that would normally be a standout at a point break, but the cross-onshore wind is still there. It’s a real shame. The 26th is the same story – big swell, fresh to strong breeze, and messy surf.

The last week of the month into early August is a car crash. Monday the 27th has 8ft swell with 10-second period and energy over 1000, but it’s still cross-onshore. Then Tuesday the 28th of July kicks up a massive 20ft WNW swell with a 12-second period. Energy readings are a monstrous 9373. That is a serious, dangerous amount of water. At that size, it’s expert-only, and the near-gale cross-onshore wind will make it a washing machine. Complete no-go for paddle surfing. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might look interesting, but for a surfer, it’s a hard pass.

The rest of the run into the 3rd of August is the same story. The swell drops back to 3ft - 8ft, but the wind is always onshore or cross-onshore. The forecast is long-range, so it’s less certain, but as it stands, we’re looking at a full 16 days of choppy, lumpy, and blown-out conditions. There is no standout session, no hidden gem. The consistency is there, but the quality is zero. It’s a blank run. Sometimes it just be like that, but forecasts can change, so keep your eyes peeled.

Rusty.

Read more