Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks for Thurso East.

Right off the bat, we’re in a rough patch. The first few days are a write-off – cross-onshore winds, short-period slop, and just plain ugly. You’ll be looking at the ocean from the car park, not from a wave. That dry spell runs from today, Friday the 31st of July, all the way through to the end of the weekend.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 3rd of August. The wind switches around to the east-southeast, getting offshore, and the swell starts to show some life. The morning is still a bit marginal, but the afternoon session is where it’s at. Clean, offshore lines with a 4ft swell from the north, period around 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (304). It’s not huge, but after the junk we’ve had, it’ll feel like a gift. The water is sitting at 56°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Don’t get too excited for Tuesday the 4th or Wednesday the 5th, though. The swell drops right off and the wind gets nasty again. We’re talking small, lumpy, and messy. That’s another gap of a few days with nothing to recommend.

Now, here’s the one that’s got my heart pumping. Sunday the 9th of August, the swell starts to build again, but it’s still cross-onshore and messy through the day. The real standout is Monday the 10th of August. The wind is light and offshore from the east-southeast, and we’ve got a solid 6ft swell from the north-northwest. The combined energy is strong (799). The period is 8 seconds, so it’s a bit of a short-period groundswell, but the clean conditions will make it a proper session. The morning is the pick, with the afternoon still holding good but a touch smaller. The water is still sitting around the seasonal average.

Tuesday the 11th is still worth a paddle in the morning. The swell drops to 5ft but the period stretches to 10 seconds, giving it a bit more push. The wind stays light offshore, so the waves will be clean and lined up. The afternoon shows the wind turning onshore, so get it early.

After that, it’s a slow fade into the second week. The swell peters out, and we’re looking at small, weak waves through the rest of the run. The water stays glassy at times, but there’s just no energy to work with. Don’t plan a trip around that.

So, to sum it up: the best of the best is Monday the 10th of August. The morning session with clean, offshore winds and a solid 6ft north-northwest swell is the clear winner. The early part of the week is the real window.

Rusty.

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