Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the bones for Thurso East.

First off, don’t get your hopes up for a solid run of waves straight away. The next few days are a write-off – a real mixed bag of strong onshore winds and messy, chopped-up surf. The water’s sitting at a chilly 56°F and the anomaly is near zero, so it’s about as average as it gets for the time of year, temperature-wise. Nothing to get excited about there.

The first real glimmer of a chance arrives on the morning of Tuesday, 28 July. A light offshore wind from the southeast is finally going to clean things up. You’re looking at a 4ft swell from the NNW, with a moderate 9-second period. The energy is moderate at 419, but it’s the clean conditions that make it a possibility. The break is a point, so that long-ish period from the NNW should wrap in nicely. It’s a small window though; the afternoon is gone with a cross-shore wind.

The next morning, Wednesday, 29 July, is a bit of a tease. The swell has dropped to 3ft from the north, but with a light cross-offshore breeze, the surface should be clean. The energy is weak at 270, so it’s strictly for the log or a fun mid-length. It’s marginal, but it’s the best of a bad stretch.

After that, we’re back into a grim spell. The wind swings onshore again, and the swell goes tiny or disappears altogether. There’s a solid gap from the 30th of July right through the first week of August with nothing worth paddling out for. Just wind and lumpy water.

Now, keep your eyes on Sunday, 2 August. I know it’s a week away, but there’s a pulse of energy coming in. The afternoon shows a 8ft swell from the NNW, with a 10-second period and a massive energy reading of 1239. That’s a strong pulse. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the NNW, which is a bit of a pain, but it’s a light breeze, so the surface shouldn’t be too messy. At 8ft, this is a legit expert-only session at Thurso East. It’s going to be a powerful, heavy wave with big sets. This is the standout of the whole 16-day window. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only real swell of size.

The days following that are a return to mediocrity. A few mornings on the 3rd and 4th of August have clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is small, around 4ft to 5ft, and the energy is low. It’s a last resort for a tiny wave if you’re desperate.

In short, there’s a whole lot of ugly before the one good session. The standout is absolutely the afternoon of Sunday, 2 August, but only for the brave and experienced. For the rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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