Thurso East Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s comin’ our way here in the far north. Thurso East (Scotland) is a world-class point break that needs a very specific combination to light up, and this forecast is a proper mix of frustration and a couple of windows of hope. We’re talking a big, exposed point that needs a clean NW to NNW groundswell and those light offshore winds from the southeast to really get its spit curl on. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th have messy cross-off and cross winds, with a weak, short-period westerly swell that’s just not got the grunt for this spot. It’s a bit of a tease, but the energy is just too weak (67 to 671 in the combined energy range) and the direction is all wrong. We’ll be watching from the cliff, not paddling out.

The real standout, the only time you should be thinking about waxing up, is on Tuesday the 11th. That morning we’ve got some magic lining up. The wind is a clean, gentle offshore from the southeast, which is absolutely perfect for Thurso. The swell is a small but tidy 4 ft from the north, with a period of 9 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell that will wrap around the point and hold its shape. The combined energy is a modest 202, but for this spot, with that wind, it’s quality over quantity. The afternoon will be a bit weaker at 3 ft, but still offshore and clean. This is your window. It’s a fairly consistent break, and with that light offshore, you’ll be getting some beautiful, clean lines. It’s small, so it’s not one for the big-wave chargers, but for a grovelly session on a world-class point, it’s the pick of the bunch.

After that, the outlook goes quiet again. The rest of the week and into the next has a mix of onshore wind, weak swell, and poor conditions. There’s a glimmer on Wednesday the 19th, with a glassy morning and a 3 ft westerly swell, but the energy is low (106) and the period is short. It’s surfable, but ordinary. You’d be fighting for a few close-outs.

Then, way out in the second week, on Friday the 21st, we’ve got a promising but less certain set-up. A strong offshore wind from the southeast (25 mph) will be blowing straight down the wave face, but it’s a strong breeze, so paddling in will be a proper battle. The swell is 6 ft from the west with a 10-second period, which is a decent amount of energy (638). The wind will make the surface clean, but it’s a beat-up to get out there. It’s a solid option for the experts who can handle the paddle, but for the average surfer, Tuesday the 11th is the one to lock in.

Rusty.

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