Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Thurso East.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but nothing to get too down about. The first real surf on offer kicks off Saturday morning, July 11th, with a clean 3.9ft swell from the west. It’s got a solid 10-second period, so there’s some push behind it, and the wind is a light cross-off from the ENE at 6 mph. The water is sitting at 54.7°, which is about average for this time of year, so no shocks there. The combined energy is moderate at 268, so it’s not a monster, but it’s a fun, clean start to the weekend. It holds through the afternoon, dropping a little to 3.6ft, but that same clean feel sticks around.

Sunday the 12th drops off a fair bit. We’re looking at 2.3ft in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s down to 2.0ft with a shorter 8-second period. The wind stays cross-off, but it’s a bit stronger at 12 mph, so while it’s clean, the wave energy is weak (48 and 70). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are a real mixed bag. Monday morning has a tiny 1.6ft swell with offshore wind, but it’s just too small to get excited about. Tuesday, however, is a proper little gem. The morning brings a 2.0ft swell but with a very long 12-second period from the west, and the combined energy jumps to 202. The wind is a gentle offshore from the SE, 9 mph. That’s a real treat for a point break like Thurso—long period groundswell, clean, and the sets will have some shape. It’s not big, but it’ll be quality. Afternoon bumps up to 3.3ft with an 11-second period, and the wind stays offshore, though a bit stronger. This Tuesday is the standout of the first week, no question.

From Wednesday the 15th through to Friday the 17th, it’s a slow fade. The swell drops to 1.0ft to 1.6ft, and the energy is weak, rarely cracking 40. The wind is offshore, so the surface is clean, but there’s just not enough water moving to make it worthwhile. A bit of a flat spell there.

Then we hit a bit of a wild card on the weekend of the 18th and 19th. Saturday the 18th sees a rise in swell to 2.6ft by the afternoon, but the wind is howling onshore from the WNW at 19 mph. The energy is up to 120, but it’s going to be messy. Sunday the 19th is even bigger, with 8.2ft from the NNW, but that wind is still a strong onshore at 25 mph. That’s a no-go for paddle surfing—that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

Now, here’s where the long-range forecast gets interesting. Monday the 20th of July is a real potential standout. The morning is glassy, dead calm winds, with a 3.9ft swell from the NNW, 8-second period, and moderate energy at 254. That glassy morning session is going to be clean as a whistle. The afternoon sees the wind shift offshore from the SE, but the swell drops a bit to 3.0ft. Still, that Monday morning is the best looking session in the second week.

The rest of the second week is a bit of a gamble. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd have some size, 4.3ft to 5.6ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. The energy is moderate to strong (294 to 375), but the quality isn’t there. Thursday the 23rd holds 5.2ft from the north with a 10-second period, and the energy is strong at 595, but it’s still cross-onshore, so it’s marginal.

Friday the 24th looks clean again, with a 3.3ft swell from the north, 10-second period, and light cross-off wind from the east. That’s a nice way to finish the week. Then Saturday the 25th morning brings a 5.6ft swell from the NE with a short 6-second period, but the wind is offshore from the SE at 16 mph. That’s a bit of a short-period windswell, but it’ll be clean. The energy is moderate at 201. The afternoon gets bigger at 6.9ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, so it’s getting a bit wild.

The final Sunday the 26th is glassy again in the morning, with a 3.9ft NNW swell, but only 7 seconds and 168 energy. It’s a gentle end to the run.

If I had to pick the one or two absolute standouts, it’s the Tuesday morning, July 14th, with that long-period, clean, offshore gem, and the glassy Monday morning of July 20th. Both are going to be treat if you can get out.

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