Thurso East Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.61° N 3.50° W

Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 13 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso East sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.9° 

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 13 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 15s period, WNW swell with 10,415 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s 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 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 11s. 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 5.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Sun 13th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Best Surf 7PM (Sun 13th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Most Powerful 4AM (Fri 18th Sep)16ft (5.0m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Right, folks, Rusty here. We're looking at a pretty wild ride over the next couple of weeks. The setup is complex, with a long stretch of rough, unsurfable conditions before a late-swinging window of clean, powerful waves for the brave. Let's get into it.

The first proper surf on offer is a no-go, to be honest. Monday, the 14th is the first we could paddle out, with a small 3ft to 4ft swell coming from the NNW and W. But it's the only sniff we get for a while. From Monday afternoon through to the morning of the 24th of September, it’s a write-off – a solid ten-day stretch of junk. We've got a mix of strong cross-onshore winds, lumpy, choppy conditions, and some genuinely nasty near-gale force blows. A big 15ft swell rolls in on the 18th, but it's accompanied by 35 km/h cross-onshore winds. That's just a mess. Even with the 16ft swell on the 20th (combined energy of 8897), the near-gale winds will have it blown to pieces. Honestly, for any beach setup, that’s kite-surfing territory, not a day for a paddle. The water temp at the break is 56°, which is about average for this time of year.

Now, hold on to your boards, because after that grim run, we get a true standout. The 24th of September (Thursday) morning shows a promising sign with a 13ft W swell at 12 seconds and a combined energy of 5520, but winds are still cross. The real magic is from the 25th.

The Standout: Thurso East (Friday, 25th and Saturday, 26th)

This is the one we've been waiting for. On Friday the 25th morning, we’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the W, with a 12-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SSW, so it’s going to be clean. The crowd situation is "sometimes", so you might have a few mates out, but it won't be a circus.

But Saturday the 26th is the absolute pick. The morning sees a powerful 10ft groundswell from the WNW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. The energy is strong at 4673. And the wind? Absolute glass – a 5 km/h glassy offshore from the SE. For Thurso East, a point break that loves a clean NW swell, this is prime. This is a big, powerful wave though; anything over 8ft is expert territory, and this one is 10ft plus on Saturday afternoon (11ft). This is for experienced surfers only. The long period means long, clean lines off the point, but expect big gaps between sets. The water stays about average for the time of year.

The following days, while still big, start to degrade a touch with more onshore winds coming back in. Sunday the 27th still has clean glassy 10ft waves in the morning, but the wind shifts to a light cross-onshore by the afternoon.

So to wrap it up: a long, bleak ten-day stretch of wind and slop, then one or two golden sessions for experts. The 26th is the one to circle on your calendar. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that's the call.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Wed afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Fri night).

Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
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
2
3
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
2
WNW
11
1.7
WNW
10
1.2
WNW
10
0.9
NNW
12
0.9
NNW
12
1.1
W
10
1.1
W
11
1.5
W
10
1.7
NW
6
2.5
NW
8
1.5
W
11
1.2
W
10
1.7
W
8
1.8
W
9
5
WNW
15
4.5
WNW
14
4
WNW
13
3
W
12
3.5
W
10
4
W
10
5
WNW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
938
607
282
250
230
247
274
440
223
864
498
260
401
528
10051
8485
5116
2340
2662
3403
7814
Wind (km/h)
15
WSW
10
NW
15
SSE
20
S
10
S
15
S
20
W
30
W
30
NNW
30
NW
20
WNW
30
SSE
30
WSW
35
WSW
40
WSW
35
WSW
35
WSW
40
WSW
45
WSW
55
W
55
W
Wind State
cross-on
on
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
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
1:43PM4.00m
2:27AM3.75m
2:54PM3.82m
Low Tide
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
7:27AM2.38m
8:04PM2.43m
8:25AM2.67m
9:34PM2.60m
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:39
6:41
6:43
6:46
6:48
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:40
7:37
7:35
7:31
7:29
7:25
7:22
 mm
1
10
3
3
1
3
1
1
2
1
2
1
Temp °C
14
14
14
15
18
15
15
15
13
10
11
11
12
12
12
14
14
14
12
11
11
Feels °C
10
12
11
11
17
13
10
9
9
3
8
7
6
5
5
7
7
7
3
1
0
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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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