Thurso East Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.61° N 3.50° W

Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 07 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso East sea temperature is
13.6°C
0.8° 

Thurso East surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thurso East surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 5,871 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period with WNW 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 (Sep 13) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. 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 1.4m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Sun 13th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s
Best Surf10PM (Sun 13th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 10s
Most Powerful10PM (Mon 7th Sep)13ft (4.0m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso East over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, gather 'round, let's talk about what's comin' down the pipeline here. This ain't gonna be a clean run for most of the next two weeks, so we gotta be patient and pick our moments.

The first proper window that's got my attention is actually a bit of a long shot, but it's the standout of the whole forecast. We're lookin' at Tuesday the 15th of September morning. Now, Thurso East is an expert-only point break, and for good reason. That mornin', we've got a solid 10ft swell rollin' in from the W with a period of 11 seconds – that's real groundswell, plenty of grunt. The water temp is sittin' about average for this time of year at 57°. What makes this session the pick of the bunch is the wind: a light SE breeze at 6 mph blowin' clean offshore. That's gonna groom the faces beautifully. The combined energy is pumpin' strong at 2046, so there's serious power in the water. This is for the experienced crew only – too big and powerful for beginners. The crowd factor? You'll have some company, but with the conditions this good, it's worth it. That Tuesday morning is the one to circle.

Before that, the rest of the first week is mostly a write-off. The early days from the 7th to the 11th are plagued by strong cross-shore and onshore winds – lumpy, choppy, poor conditions. A bit of a clean-up starts on Thursday the 12th of September with a monster 13ft swell from the WNW and a very long 13 second period. The wind is cross-off, so the faces will be clean. But look, that's a bloody massive wave (combined energy of 4950), and with that kind of period, it's gonna be a heavy, straight-shooting beast at a beach break. For a point like Thurso, it could line up, but it's a full-on, expert-only, death-or-glory session. A brilliant option for the brave, but not for the faint-hearted.

After that standout Tuesday morning, the wind swings around and mucks it up again for the afternoon on the 15th and through the 16th and 17th. We get another flicker of hope on Thursday the 17th afternoon with 6ft from the WNW and a SE offshore breeze at 19 mph – will be clean, but only a marginal call. Then again on Tuesday the 22nd of September there's 7ft from the W with a SSE offshore wind. Both have potential for a session, but they're not the standout.

So to wrap it up: it's a long wait. We have to sit through a lot of wind and raw, messy days. But if you're an expert surfer, lock in Tuesday morning, September 15th. That's the gem. The rest is a waiting game, but with a spot like Thurso, it seldom stays flat for long.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Tue morning, light winds from the SW by Wed night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu 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
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
4
4
2
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
W
8
2.4
W
11
3.5
W
13
3.5
W
11
3
WNW
10
3
NW
10
1.6
WNW
9
1.3
W
9
1.1
W
6
1
W
7
1.2
W
9
1.2
W
9
1.9
W
6
2
W
10
4
WNW
14
4
WNW
13
3.5
WNW
13
2.5
WNW
12
2
WNW
11
1.6
WNW
11
1.2
WNW
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
319
1367
4441
3428
1739
1597
363
269
89
106
209
249
263
755
5259
4943
3662
1765
959
551
288
Wind (km/h)
30
SW
35
SW
40
SSW
25
WSW
40
NNW
40
NW
25
WNW
25
W
15
S
25
SSE
20
S
25
SW
35
WSW
35
WSW
35
WSW
20
S
20
SSE
20
SW
25
NW
20
WNW
20
SSE
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
on
on
cross-off
High Tide
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
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:26
6:28
6:30
6:33
6:35
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:58
7:54
7:52
7:50
7:46
7:44
7:40
 mm
3
1
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
15
15
12
13
13
11
13
14
12
14
17
14
14
14
13
13
14
14
12
12
12
Feels °C
7
8
4
8
6
2
7
9
8
9
13
10
6
6
6
9
10
10
7
8
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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