
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso East surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 6,509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period with W 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso East in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Thurso East over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a long wait ahead. The first few days look pretty grim. The real action doesn’t kick in until Saturday the 12th, so that’s a solid gap of a few days with nothing worth paddling out for.
The main event is shaping up to be a proper groundswell arriving Saturday morning, the 12th of September. We’re talking a solid 12ft of swell from the WNW, with a long 13-second period pushing a massive amount of energy into the coast (combined energy of 4213). This is a big, powerful swell. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore breeze, which will keep it clean. At that size, 12ft, this is expert territory only. It’s a standout for raw power and clean conditions, but you’ll need your wits about you.
Sunday the 13th looks like the real gem, though. The swell backs off a touch to 10ft, still from the WNW with a 12-second period, but the wind dies completely. Sunday afternoon is glassy, flat calm, with a 7ft WNW swell. That’s a rare combination for a wave this size. The combined energy is still a solid 1256, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the fortnight for a proper, clean, powerful session. Low tide might be your friend here.
The following week gets messy again. Tuesday the 15th sees a monster 15ft swell but with a strong onshore wind, making it a blown-out mess. That’s one for the kite crew, not for paddle surfing.
We do get a glimpse of hope on Wednesday the 16th. A new 5ft swell from the N arrives with a moderate offshore wind from the SSE. That’s a clean, moderate offshore breeze, and the combined energy is 644, so there’s some push. It’s a much smaller option, but clean. The water temperature right now is about average for the time of year, so nothing to worry about with the wetsuit.
The very end of the outlook, Sunday the 20th, throws another big one at us. A 13ft WNW swell with a fresh offshore wind from the SE. That’s a big, clean setup, but it’s a long way out and could change. The combined energy is a massive 3397. If it holds, it’s another expert-only day with serious power.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The standout is Sunday the 13th for the glassy, powerful conditions. If you’re an expert, Saturday the 12th and the promising Sunday the 20th are also ones to watch. Keep an eye on the local forecasts for the timing of the tide.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon night, light winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 11 | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
505 | 1537 | 4937 | 1673 | 1007 | 370 | 186 | 127 | 64 | 88 | 214 | 214 | 263 | 505 | 1138 | 4206 | 5186 | 4780 | 2243 | 1113 | 502 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | SE 6 | N 10 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | N 9 | — | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
505 | 1537 | 4937 | 1673 | 1007 | 370 | 186 | 127 | 64 | 88 | 214 | 214 | 2 | 2 | 1138 | 4206 | 2 | — | 2243 | 1113 | 502 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 7 | — | — | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | NNW 7 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | W 18 | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | NNW 14 | NNW 14 | NNW 12 |
8 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 68 | 28 | 27 | 9 | 4 | — | 6 | 2 | 7 | — | — | 78 | 143 | 254 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SE 7 | S 4 | — | N 4 | NW 8 | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 3 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | SSW 4 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | — | — | SSE 4 |
16 | 15 | 12 | 15 | — | 7 | 182 | — | — | 10 | 7 | 6 | 263 | 505 | 1065 | 39 | 5186 | 4780 | — | — | 19 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 364 | 824 | 522 | 730 | 522 | 730 | 314 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 170 | 586 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










