Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WNW swell with 11,316 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Thurso Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on what’s coming our way for Thurso Reef.
Looking at the whole picture, we’ve got some pretty hefty swell on the horizon, but the first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. We’re kicking off on Monday the 14th with some small, rideable waves but nothing to get too fired up about just yet. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is just a touch warmer than average for this time of year.
Come Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, things get messy. The swell is picking up, but we’ve got a strong cross-wind and rain, so it’ll be lumpy and poor. Thursday the 17th is where it starts getting interesting: the wind swings offshore from the SW and the swell jumps up. The combined energy is building too, hitting 2778 by Thursday afternoon, which is a solid, strong push of energy. But the swell is predicted to hit 10ft and beyond, and that’s getting into expert-only territory. It’s clean, but it’s big.
Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th are the real standout window for experienced surfers. We’ve got a powerful groundswell from the WNW with a long 12 to 13 second period and massive combined energy figures, reaching 6642 on Friday morning. The wind is swinging offshore from the SSW on Friday afternoon, making for some clean, powerful waves. The swell size is 12ft to 15ft – this is big, heavy reef break stuff. Flat-out dangerous for anyone else.
Sunday the 20th keeps that big, clean swell going with a 13ft swell and a 12-second period from the WNW, combined energy at 4374. The wind is light on Sunday afternoon, so it will be glassy on top of the brute force below. This whole run from Thursday to Sunday is the best on offer, but it’s strictly for the big-wave crew.
Things start to drop off on Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd. The swell backs down to a more manageable 6ft to 7ft, and the wind is offshore again, especially on Tuesday morning with a light SSW breeze. This is a great window for intermediate surfers. The combined energy is still decent at 1611, so there’s some push. We get into Wednesday the 23rd with a nice 5ft swell and a light offshore from the SW, but then it starts to blow up again later in the day.
From Thursday the 24th on, it’s a bit of a yo-yo. We get another burst of big, clean swell on Thursday, then strong winds knock it down on Friday the 25th. The weekend of the 26th and 27th looks small and onshore, not worth the trip. Then, on Tuesday the 29th, another window opens up with a nice, long-period 15-second groundswell from the west. Combined energy of 787, clean and light wind, waves around 4ft. That one’s a bit further out, but promising.
Best on offer: The Thursday 17th through Sunday 20th window is the clear standout for experts. For everyone else, Tuesday morning the 22nd is your best bet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Mon night, strong winds from the NW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 12 | WNW 15 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 250 | 230 | 252 | 453 | 540 | 384 | 643 | 534 | 262 | 601 | 2759 | 10597 | 6637 | 3585 | 2168 | 1897 | 2910 | 3607 | 4374 | 3904 | 2151 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | 12:19PM4.44m | 00:35AM4.38m | 12:56PM4.22m | 1:21AM4.04m | 1:43PM4.00m | 2:27AM3.75m | 2:54PM3.82m | 4:08AM3.61m | 4:32PM3.79m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | 6:12AM1.69m | 6:27PM1.89m | 6:47AM2.04m | 7:09PM2.16m | 7:27AM2.38m | 8:04PM2.43m | 8:25AM2.67m | 9:34PM2.60m | 10:12AM2.82m | 11:27PM2.52m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — |
mm | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | SE 6 | N 10 | N 9 | W 12 | NNW 9 | W 10 | N 8 | W 12 | — | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | W 11 | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | WNW 12 |
| kJ | 250 | 230 | 252 | 1 | 68 | 15 | 336 | 534 | 262 | 46 | 2759 | — | 6637 | 3585 | 2168 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2151 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | NE 7 | W 11 | N 8 | — | N 8 | — | N 8 | N 8 | N 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 106 | 183 | 156 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 440 | 177 | — | 18 | — | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | SSE 3 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | — | S 4 | W 9 | — | WNW 15 | — | — | — | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | — |
| kJ | 2 | 4 | — | 453 | 540 | 384 | 643 | — | 12 | 601 | — | 10597 | — | — | — | 1897 | 2910 | 3607 | 4374 | 3904 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 26 | 180 | 1092 | 775 | 290 | 26 | 118 | 141 | 664 | 664 | 423 | 5 | 423 | 423 | 664 | 413 | 292 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Thurso Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Thurso Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Thurso Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Thurso Reef 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 Reef) 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 Reef 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 Reef, 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, Kirkwall and Lossiemouth.
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