Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the Thurso East forecast. It’s a classic, but it’s got its moods.

The next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a lot of windy, sloppy days to sit through before the real action shows up. The pattern starts rough, builds to a couple of standout windows, then fades back into the usual autumn wind and chop.

Right now, on Friday the 21st, it’s not worth getting wet. Solid 16 mph onshore winds out of the NNW are just trashing the 5 ft swell. Poor surf – a real shame. That carries through the weekend (22nd, 23rd) with more onshore winds, cross-onshore from the W. The swell energy is low, barely hitting 100 to 200 in the combined energy reading. It’s choppy, lumpy, and not inviting.

But then, Monday the 24th is the first proper standout. The wind swings to the SE and goes light offshore in the morning – only 3 mph. Absolute glass. That welcome switch unlocks the Thurso East (Caithness) magic. We’re looking at a clean 7 ft to 8 ft groundswell from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy reading is very strong at 1016 to 1242. That’s real, powerful lines coming through. Because it’s a point break with that long period, the sets will be well defined and have some grunt. The only catch – it’s an expert spot on the best day, and the crowds there are *sometimes* an issue, so get in early. This is the one to circle. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore ESE breeze, though the swell drops a touch.

Tuesday the 25th still shows clean surf with offshore winds, but the swell has dropped back to 4 ft or less, with combined energy down to 379 and 209. It’s marginal, but cleaner than anything around it. Still a decent paddle if you’re keen.

From Wednesday the 26th right through to Friday the 28th, it flatlines. We’re talking tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft waves and low energy. Not worth the drive.

Saturday the 29th sees some swell return – 4 ft to 5 ft – but the wind is a cross or cross-onshore from the WSW. The combined energy is still moderate (176 to 203), but the quality is poor. Choppy, messy. Not recommended.

Now, Sunday the 30th is the second real standout. The morning shows some clouds and a light S wind going cross-offshore. That breeze is light – very clean. The swell jumps to 8 ft out of the WNW, with a short period of 8 seconds, but the combined energy is through the roof at 1103. That is a serious amount of power. For experts only, that’s going to be a heavy, thumping day at the point. The afternoon gets a bit weird – rain showers and a cross-shore ENE breeze, with the swell building to 10 ft and energy at 1362. It’s marginal thanks to that cross-shore texture, so morning is far better.

Monday the 31st brings a drop-off. We’ve got 6 ft to 7 ft from the NW but the wind turns cross-onshore. The energy is still solid (755 to 787) but the surface gets choppy. Still manageable for a strong paddler, but not the clean perfection of the 24th or 30th.

After that, from Tuesday the 1st of September right through to Saturday the 5th, it’s pretty grim. Onshore winds from the NNW and NW dominate, mostly at 19 to 25 mph. The swell size fluctuates between 3 ft and 5 ft, but the energy is moderate and the surface is junk. Not good for surfing – honestly, with those winds and the exposed point setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than surfing.

Water temperature is running about average for the time of year, so no surprises in the thermals. If you’re heading out on the 24th, the first standout, you won’t need any more than a 3/2 wetsuit.

Bottom line: The only two days to truly chase are Monday the 24th of August and the morning of Sunday the 30th of August. The 24th is cleaner and likely the pick of the whole run – that offshore glass with a proper long-period groundswell is the dream ticket.

Rusty.

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