Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks here at Thurso East. This is a world-class right-hand point break that loves a big, clean north-northwest swell, but she’s an expert-only wave when it’s got any size, so don’t be fooled.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. This weekend and into Monday is pretty ordinary. There’s a bit of swell around but the wind’s all wrong – mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making for some messy and choppy conditions. Nothing to get excited about for the 29th and 30th of August, with tiny waves and poor form.

Tuesday the 1st of September sees a pulse of energy, with the swell building to 5ft by morning and then 8ft in the afternoon. But it’s blowing a gale from the west at 28 mph in the afternoon, so it’s just messy and blown-out. Not one for the paddle.

Now, Wednesday the 2nd of September is where things start to look interesting. The morning has a solid 8ft of west-northwest swell, giving off a strong energy reading of 1040. The wind is still cross-on, so it’s a bit lumpy, but the afternoon turns it on. We get a 5ft swell, this time from the north-northwest, with a beautiful 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell, and it’s blowing offshore from the south-southeast at 12 mph. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, sitting around 59° to 59°F. That afternoon session is the standout of the first week – clean lines and good energy.

The real highlight, though, comes on Friday the 4th of September. The morning delivers a cracking 8ft swell from the west with a very long 14-second period. The combined energy is a massive 2368, which is serious power. The wind is a light offshore from the south-southeast at 9 mph, making for some clean, open faces. This is excellent surf, but with that size (over 8ft), it is strictly for experienced surfers only. It’s a world-class setup when it’s like this, and the long period will mean long, clean walls and long lulls between sets. The water temperature is still about average for the time of year. This is the call of the fortnight, but be aware it’s still a week out, so keep an eye on it.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. Saturday the 5th of September is still a decent size, but the wind goes onshore, and the quality fades. From Sunday the 6th through the rest of the second week, the surf really tails off. There are some lumps here and there, but it’s small, short-period leftovers, and the wind is often cross or onshore, making for poor or marginal conditions for days on end. By the time we get to the 11th, it’s down to 1ft and not worth a paddle. A long flat spell kicks in from roughly the 8th onwards, and the last few days of the outlook are just tiny and messy.

So, overall: a slow start, a very good Wednesday afternoon, and a top-shelf, expert-only morning on Friday the 4th. After that, it’s back to the waiting game.

Rusty

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