Thurso East Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.61° N 3.50° W

Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso East sea temperature is
13.1° C
0.4° 

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 20 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,172 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thurso East this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Thurso East in the next 16 days are 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 4PM (Sat 25th Jul)7.5ft (2.3m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

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.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the WNW on Sun night, strong winds from the WNW by Tue morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds.

Sun
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
WNW
12
0.9
WNW
7
1.1
WNW
8
1.2
WNW
8
1.5
WNW
8
1.9
WNW
6
2.2
WNW
7
2.2
NW
8
1.6
NW
8
1.4
NW
8
1.2
WNW
8
1.4
WNW
8
1.6
WNW
6
1.8
WNW
7
2
WNW
8
2.5
W
8
2.5
WNW
9
2.2
WNW
9
2.3
WNW
11
1.8
WNW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
54
68
157
192
321
297
513
588
338
268
171
210
170
346
534
868
950
798
1172
716
Wind (km/h)
30
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
30
WNW
40
WNW
45
WNW
35
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
25
W
25
W
25
WSW
35
W
40
W
35
W
25
WNW
20
WNW
35
W
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
1:14AM4.84m
2:04PM4.29m
2:03AM4.58m
2:54PM4.11m
2:57AM4.31m
3:51PM3.98m
4:00AM4.08m
4:54PM3.95m
5:13AM3.94m
6:01PM4.00m
6:29AM3.92m
7:01PM4.14m
Low Tide
6:58PM1.91m
7:38AM1.51m
7:46PM2.13m
8:29AM1.81m
8:40PM2.34m
9:27AM2.09m
9:49PM2.49m
10:35AM2.28m
11:12PM2.51m
11:45AM2.35m
00:26AM2.39m
12:46PM2.31m
1:24AM2.19m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
4:37
4:39
4:41
4:43
4:45
4:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
10:02
10:00
9:59
9:57
9:54
9:53
9:52
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
13
12
13
13
12
13
13
13
13
13
13
17
18
14
15
15
13
14
14
14
Feels °C
7
8
10
9
6
5
5
9
9
8
8
12
13
9
9
8
6
10
11
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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