Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks have got cookin' for us, just focusing on the Thurso East (Thurso-East) setup. It's a classic point break, and she's an expert's wave—no messin' about for beginners here.

The opening days of the forecast are a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 14th kicks us off with a modest 3-foot to 4-foot swell. The early session is a bit on the small side with 356 units of energy, but the afternoon sees a jump to 453, and things are lookin' clean with a light cross-off breeze. It's not a standout, but it's a start.

Tuesday the 15th is a write-off. We've got a strong westerly wind blowin' straight onto the point, churning up 16 mph of chop for a 5-foot swell. You'd be better off stayin' in bed.

The picture doesn't improve much as we head through the week. Wednesday the 16th to Sunday the 20th has a lot of big, unruly swell on the cards, but the wind is just a mess—strong cross-onshore, fresh cross-shore, even near-gale gusts. The swell on Friday the 18th is a proper 15-foot behemoth with 8049 units of energy, but with that 19 mph cross-on wind, the wave quality is shot. It's a shame, because the potential is there.

That all builds to a real monster on Sunday the 20th. We're talkin' a 21-foot swell from the WNW with a period of 13-14 seconds, and the combined energy is a staggering 13,378 – that's a lot of water movin'. But again, it's accompanied by a 34 mph near-gale cross-onshore. The report even says it's predicted to be too big for the break. For a paddler, it's a no-go, but the sheer size and wind might make that setup look mighty interesting for a kite surfer.

After that wild stretch, things finally settle down. Monday the 21st of September is our first true standout. A 12-foot WNW groundswell (12-second period) arrives with a clean 16 mph ESE offshore wind. By the afternoon, the wind drops to a gentle 9 mph offshore, the swell settles to 8 feet, and it gives us 1747 units of clean energy. The guidance has this ticked for excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the best on offer for the first week—a solid, clean point break session if you've got the skills.

The next day, Tuesday the 22nd, we're back to poor, messy conditions with a crunchy cross-on breeze. Another blank day to wait out.

Then, we get to Thursday the 24th of September. The morning is a real gem. A clean 6-foot swell from the west with only a light 6 mph SSE offshore breeze. It's glassy and clean, with 662 units of moderate energy—expect very good surf conditions. This is the second standout session for the period.

Friday the 25th of September morning is another big one for the experienced crew. The swell jumps to a powerful 10 feet from the west with a 14-second period, giving us 3286 units of energy. The wind is a light 9 mph cross-offshore. The guidance rates this as excellent for experienced surfers. It's a bigger, more powerful wave that will suit those who know their way around.

The run continues into the final week with a morning on Monday the 28th of September. A 10-foot, short-period (8 seconds) NW swell arrives with a light cross-off shore breeze. It's a bit of a lumpy, chopped-up feel to it given the period. The afternoon, though, is a proper classic Thurso moment. An 8-foot NW swell with a 10-second period, 1394 units of energy, and a gentle 6 mph cross-off breeze from the east. The guidance says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. It's a clean, powerful left-hander that will have you screaming for more.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so grab your usual rubber.

So, in a nutshell: we slog through a week of big, blown-out junk before a few clean, powerful windows for experts open up. The standout sessions are the afternoon of Monday the 21st and the afternoon of Monday the 28th. The near-term calls are solid; the long-range standouts are promising but you always have to watch how the Atlantic lows spin up.

That's the picture.
Rusty.

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