Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Thurso East.

First up, it's a bit of a tough start. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no shock to the system there. But the wind is howling from the west, smashing into the coast at 22 mph, and the swell is getting blown to bits. There's a massive 1033 units of combined energy out there on Friday the 24th, but with that wind, it's all just white water. We’re looking at a solid 10 ft of slop by Friday afternoon with the same rubbish wind. The only saving grace is that when the wind does finally drop, we might see something.

The weekend is a write-off. Saturday the 25th has a near gale from the NW at 31 mph and a 15 ft swell. The combined energy is a colossal 4264, but this is a kite-surfing situation, not paddle surfing. The wind is straight onshore and it’s dangerous. Don't even think about it. Sunday the 26th is still messy with onshore wind, but the swell drops to 6 ft, still blown out.

Monday the 27th is still poor, but we get a bit of a glimmer. By the afternoon, the wind eases to a light cross-shore, swell drops to 4 ft. The energy is still moderate at 697, but the conditions are only marginal. Not great.

We slog through Tuesday and Wednesday morning with nothing but cross-shore chop and small waves. Then, on Wednesday the 29th of July, the afternoon looks interesting. The wind goes completely glassy, zero mph, and there’s a little 4 ft, 8-second swell from the west. The energy is only 227, so it’s weak, but glassy conditions are a major positive. That’s the only clean window we get for a while, but at 4 ft, it’s more of a longboarder’s session.

Then we hit a flat spell. From Thursday the 30th through to the start of August, the swell just disappears. We’re looking at knee-high waves with clean conditions but barely any energy. There’s a few days there with combined energy readings in the double digits and teens. It’s a proper lull.

Now, hold on. The first week of August brings a pulse. On Monday the 3rd of August, we see an 8 ft swell from the west-southwest, with a period of 7-8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 783. The wind is cross-shore from the NNE at 9-12 mph, so it’s still a bit lumpy, but these are marginal surf conditions, not a total write-off. Tuesday the 4th keeps the 8 ft swell going from the NNW. It’s still a bit chopped, but the wind is light. This is a short-period swell, so it won't be the cleanest, but it’s the most size we’ve seen in a week.

The standout for the whole forecast? It’s got to be the glassy Wednesday afternoon on the 29th of July. It’s not big, but it’s clean. The only other real pulse is the 8 ft swell on the 3rd and 4th of August, but with those cross-shore winds, it’s a gamble. The best surf quality is definitely that Wednesday window. After that, it’s a long shot to the end of the period, with a few small, clean days but nothing with any punch.

Rusty out.

Read more