
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso East surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, WNW swell with 5,791 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 16s. 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 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what Thurso East has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
It’s going to be a frustrating start, I won’t sugarcoat it. The first several days are a write-off. We’ve got a big, lumpy, cross-onshore mess to deal with for the first week, with most days being blown out or just plain ugly. You’ll want to sit tight until the real windows open up.
Saturday the 12th is the first time we see something that catches the eye, but it’s a bit of a tease. The morning session sees a solid 8ft groundswell from the WNW with a long 13-second period. That is serious energy (2,423 in the combined energy reading). The wind is cross-offshore, which will leave things clean. But the afternoon turns to junk, so it’s a small, early-bird window for experts only. This swell is solid, the sets will have punch.
After another period of messy, windy conditions, it’s Monday the 14th that really comes together. The afternoon looks special. The swell settles to 3ft but that clean cross-offshore wind is perfect for the point. The swell direction from the NNW is spot on for Thurso’s optimum. It won’t be huge, but the lines will be clean, long, and lined up. This is the first true standout, and the conditions will be magic.
Then, after more wind-ruined days, we get a run of promising weather starting from the morning of Sunday the 21st. That morning sees 6ft of swell with a clean, fresh offshore wind from the SSE. It stays clean into the afternoon. This is a solid, surfable swell with good energy (816). It’s not a huge day, but it will be a proper, rideable point wave.
Tuesday the 23rd is the one to circle on the calendar. You’ve got 8ft of WNW swell, a 12-second period, and a nice cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy (1,656) shows there’s some real power. This is a high-quality, punchy groundswell for experienced surfers. The wind is clean, which will make the take-offs feel good.
A note about the water: When you’re paddling out on that Monday the 14th, the water temperature is 56° – that’s about normal for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.
Summary of the best bets:
- Monday 14th (afternoon): It might only be 3ft, but the cross-offshore wind and perfect direction make this the standout for clean, long, quality waves. Don't overlook it.
- Sunday 21st: Clean offshore winds and a solid 6ft swell. A proper, all-day session.
- Tuesday 23rd: The biggest, cleanest swell of the whole run. 8ft and offshore. That’s the expert’s choice for power.
The end of the run, around the 26th, looks promising too, but we’re into the long-range crystal ball territory there. It’s less certain, but the signs are good with a clean 6ft swell and cross-offshore wind. We’ll keep an eye on it.
Stay patient through the grot, lads. It’ll be worth it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat morning, light winds from the NNE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the WSW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 | W 11 | W 9 | W 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
415 | 512 | 851 | 2415 | 3495 | 1619 | 823 | 540 | 413 | 313 | 303 | 282 | 185 | 520 | 156 | 586 | 651 | 823 | 1985 | 3401 | 5791 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 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 | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 13 | SE 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | N 10 | W 10 | W 12 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 |
2 | 135 | 851 | 2415 | 8 | 1619 | 823 | 540 | 282 | 313 | 220 | 282 | 185 | 71 | 156 | 586 | 388 | 99 | 34 | 21 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | SE 7 | WNW 14 | N 9 | N 9 | — | NW 15 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | WNW 9 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | N 10 | SE 6 | N 10 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | 2 | 465 | 6 | 2 | — | 56 | 189 | 413 | 132 | 303 | 205 | 108 | 1 | 49 | 341 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | ESE 4 | — | NNW 11 | SE 5 | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | 42 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 8 | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | WNW 13 | — | — | — | SE 3 | S 3 | SSE 3 | S 3 | WNW 6 | W 10 | NW 6 | WNW 12 | W 11 | W 9 | W 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 |
415 | 512 | 1 | 40 | 3495 | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 86 | 520 | 111 | 583 | 651 | 823 | 1985 | 3401 | 5791 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 423 | 25 | 0 | 420 | 170 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 616 | 663 | 522 | 359 | 20 | 415 | 487 | 1143 | 816 |
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.










