Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, W swell with 6,132 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with N 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s coming down the line for Thurso Reef. We’ve got a real mixed bag ahead, with some proper wild energy early on, and a couple of promising windows later that could be worth circling on the calendar.
Right off the bat, the water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there, just your standard chilly North Sea.
The first few days are a write-off, to be honest. Wednesday the 2nd has some lumpy, cross-shore swell in the 8ft to 8ft range, but it’s messy with a cross-chop and the conditions just aren't lining up. Thursday the 3rd is clean but flat as a pancake. Then we get a pulse on Friday the 4th – a solid 8ft groundswell from the west with a 12-second period and fresh offshore wind. That’s clean, but it’s blowing at 19 mph, so it’s a bit of a battle. The combined energy is strong (1606). Saturday the 5th morning sees a 10ft swell (1562 energy) – that’s too big for this reef setup, it’s really only for the hardcore crew, and the wind is cross-off.
We then hit a dry spell. Sunday the 6th through to Monday the 11th is mostly small or messy, with onshore winds and poor conditions. The combined energy drops right off, down to just 47 on the 11th. Not worth paddling out for.
Now, here’s the bit that gets the blood pumping. The standout window looks like Saturday the 12th of September. We get a long-period groundswell from the west, 5ft with a 14-second period. That’s a proper, lined-up swell that will wrap nicely into this reef. The wind is a light, cross-off breeze from the southeast, making for clean waves. The combined energy is moderate (969). The period is long, so expect longer lulls between sets, but when they come, they’ll have some real push. This is the best bet for an intermediate surfer looking for clean, manageable waves.
After that, things get a bit weird again. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are small, but then Monday afternoon sees a spike to 7ft from the west with a 14-second period – that’s a lot of energy (2075) but the conditions are only marginal.
The real big-ticket item is Tuesday the 15th of September. We have a 6ft swell from the west, 13-second period, with gentle offshore wind from the southwest in the morning. That’s the magic combo: offshore wind, solid groundswell, and a period that will give you some beautiful, rippable walls. The combined energy is strong (1615). Afternoon is also looking very good, with 8ft from the WNW and light cross-off winds. This is the pick of the trip if you can get on it. Wednesday the 16th morning is glassy, but small at 3ft. Then Thursday the 17th brings another pulse of 8ft west swell with offshore wind, but that’s getting into big territory again – only for confident surfers.
So, to wrap it up: The first week is largely a mess. The real standouts are Saturday the 12th for a clean, mid-sized session, and Tuesday the 15th for the best combination of size, wind, and swell quality. The long-period swells here are best on this reef, so keep that in mind.
Signing off,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed morning, near gales from the W by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sun night, light winds from the SSE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | WSW 7 | W 12 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 12 | W 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
998 | 1322 | 707 | 262 | 127 | 131 | 1575 | 3065 | 1997 | 1562 | 1094 | 388 | 176 | 132 | 250 | 241 | 320 | 900 | 1129 | 4592 | 4365 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | on |
High Tide | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 7 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | W 12 | N 8 | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | — | — | — |
998 | 1322 | 707 | 262 | 127 | 68 | 1575 | 11 | — | — | — | 388 | 176 | 132 | 94 | 241 | 320 | 900 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | W 10 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | N 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | SE 7 | N 8 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — |
103 | 43 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 31 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 161 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 12 | N 11 | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | NNE 9 | W 16 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 5 | 11 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 4 | W 5 | W 6 | WSW 7 | SSW 4 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | — | SE 3 | SSE 3 | W 7 | SSE 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | W 9 | W 12 | W 12 |
— | — | 15 | 100 | 124 | 131 | 35 | 3065 | 1997 | 1562 | 1094 | — | 5 | 8 | 250 | 16 | 14 | 36 | 1129 | 4592 | 4365 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 27 | 1 | 41 | 426 | 1 | 5 | 523 | 696 | 594 | 423 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1404 | 731 |
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.











