
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso East surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, NNW swell with 287 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thurso East this week:
The surf forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso East in the next 16 days are 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the Thurso East forecast. This is a world-class point break, and it’s not looking like a classic run just yet, but there are a few windows where it could get interesting.
The overall pattern is pretty quiet for the first week and a half. We’ve got a lot of days with either small swell, messy wind, or both. There’s a big gap with no real standouts from now until the middle of the month. The first real chance of something special lands on Friday morning, August 14th, when a solid pulse of swell arrives. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.
For the early part, Monday the 3rd of August is the only time that’s even worth a mention. The morning sees a 4ft swell from the NNW, with a moderate offshore breeze from the SE. That’s clean, but the swell’s weak with only 263 combined energy. It’s small and a bit weak, but it’s rideable if you’re desperate. The afternoon holds the same.
Then we go into a real dry spell. From Tuesday the 4th right through to Sunday the 9th, the waves are either too small, too choppy, or the wind is onshore. There’s a tiny window on Saturday the 8th morning with a 2ft swell and offshore wind, but it’s barely knee-high. Not worth the paddle.
Now, the standout. Friday, August 14th morning. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a solid groundswell with plenty of energy – the combined energy reading is 1132, which is strong. The wind is light from the W, which is cross-on, but with only 6 mph it’s not going to wreck it. The water temperature is 56°, which is about normal for this time of year. This is expert territory at that size; anything over 8ft and this wave gets heavy and powerful, especially on a point break. The swell direction is pretty close to the optimum NNW, so it’ll wrap in nicely. The crowd factor is "sometimes", so you might have a few others out, but it won’t be a circus. This is the best on offer.
Saturday the 15th has a bigger 10ft swell on the afternoon, but the wind is onshore and the period drops to 8 seconds. That’s going to be a messy, dangerous beast – only for the brave and the foolish. The morning of the 16th sees a 6ft WNW swell with light cross-on wind, still marginal but cleaner than Saturday.
All in all, the pick of the 16 days is that Friday morning, August 14th. Set your alarms, get there early, and be ready for a proper Thurso East session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the ESE by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | N 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 6 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
167 | 171 | 287 | 238 | 186 | 111 | 86 | 63 | 28 | 206 | 147 | 78 | 69 | 62 | 22 | 28 | 42 | 74 | 76 | 71 | 66 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | ||||||||
5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:34 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 11 | E 7 | E 6 | W 10 | W 10 | N 6 | NNW 5 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
167 | 171 | 287 | 238 | 186 | 111 | 86 | 63 | 28 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 22 | 9 | 42 | 74 | 76 | 71 | 66 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | ENE 6 | E 6 | SE 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 9 | N 7 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 |
144 | 123 | 55 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | W 11 | NE 6 | E 5 | W 10 | N 10 | N 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | N 9 | N 8 |
— | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | N 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 4 | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | E 4 | E 5 |
— | — | — | 3 | 3 | 14 | 37 | 72 | 80 | 206 | 147 | 78 | 69 | 62 | 7 | — | — | 8 | 10 | 20 | 11 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 184 | 95 | 100 | 170 | 306 | 192 | 295 | 295 | 17 | 9 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











