Thurso Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Reef sea temperature is
13.3° C
0.1° 

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


Thurso Reef surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,528 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Sat 8th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 10s
Best Surf 4AM (Mon 10th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 4AM (Mon 10th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, let’s break it down.

The only break we’re looking at is Thurso Reef. It’s a reef break for intermediates, fairly consistent, but sometimes it gets crowded. The best swell comes from the NW, and it’s exposed to the ocean.

We’ve got a slow start. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are poor. Saturday morning has a 6ft swell from the west, 9-second period, with a 22 mph offshore wind – clean, but the energy is moderate (615). Saturday afternoon bumps up to 8ft west swell, 10-second period, with stronger energy (1116), but still marginal. Sunday the 9th is a total write-off – poor conditions, cross-off winds, and 8ft to 8ft of swell.

Monday the 10th is lumpy, cross-shore, and poor. Tuesday the 11th drops to 3ft from the north, short 8-second period, weak energy (155). Wednesday the 12th is tiny – 1.0ft west swell, long 12-second period, and very weak energy (46). Afternoon is glassy, but only 1ft. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 13th is glassy in the morning with 2ft from the north, 12-second period, energy 160. Still very ordinary. Water temp is about average for this time of year.

From Friday the 14th through Thursday the 21st, it’s a long stretch of poor to ordinary conditions. Small waves, cross-shore winds, and weak energy. There’s a gap of nearly a week with nothing to recommend.

Then, on Friday the 21st of August, the afternoon finally delivers: 8ft from the west, 7-second period, combined energy of 743 (moderate), and offshore winds from the SW at 12 mph. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the standout. The swell direction is west, not the ideal NW, but clean offshore wind and 8ft will make Thurso Reef work. At 8ft, it’s for experts only.

Saturday the 22nd is a two-part story. Morning has 6ft from the WNW, 10-second period, with a screaming 28 mph wind from the west – strong, clean, but cross-off. Energy is moderate (651). The afternoon, though, is huge: 12ft from the NW, 8-second period, with a massive combined energy of 1635. The report says it’s predicted to be too big for this break, so only the brave should even think about it.

Sunday the 23rd offers 5ft from the north, 9-second period, 719 energy, and clean cross-off winds. It’s marginal, but a step down.

Best on offer: Friday the 21st afternoon is the clear winner – 8ft west swell, clean offshore wind, and good conditions. Saturday the 22nd afternoon is huge but likely too big. The long stretch from the 10th to the 21st is mostly flat or poor, so plan around that one good window.

Rusty, out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Sat night, strong winds from the W by Sun morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Warm (max 24°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
W
9
2.4
W
10
1.6
W
10
2.3
W
9
2.5
W
9
2.5
NW
9
2.5
NW
10
2
NNW
9
1.4
NNW
9
1
N
8
0.8
N
8
0.5
N
7
0.3
W
12
0.4
WSW
11
0.4
WSW
10
0.6
N
12
0.7
N
11
0.6
N
10
1.2
W
7
0.5
N
10
1
W
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
593
1087
463
823
919
1126
1337
673
318
137
78
27
25
40
32
93
112
73
134
44
108
Wind (km/h)
35
SW
30
SW
20
WSW
35
WSW
40
W
35
WNW
30
WNW
25
NW
5
W
15
SE
20
SE
15
SE
5
SSE
5
WSW
5
ESE
0
SSE
10
WNW
20
SW
25
WSW
25
WNW
30
W
Wind State
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
4:23AM4.15m
5:15PM4.16m
5:55AM4.19m
6:32PM4.36m
7:16AM4.39m
7:36PM4.63m
8:20AM4.63m
8:30PM4.91m
9:12AM4.84m
9:16PM5.15m
9:57AM4.97m
9:59PM5.31m
10:39AM4.99m
10:40PM5.35m
Low Tide
11:01AM2.17m
11:47PM2.18m
12:22PM2.08m
1:01AM1.85m
1:26PM1.88m
1:59AM1.47m
2:19PM1.67m
2:49AM1.13m
3:05PM1.49m
3:34AM0.89m
3:48PM1.37m
4:17AM0.79m
4:28PM1.34m
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:16
5:18
5:22
5:24
5:26
5:28
5:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:20
9:16
9:15
9:12
9:09
9:07
9:05
 mm
1
2
1
3
Temp °C
16
17
14
15
14
12
11
11
10
14
16
18
24
24
18
17
19
15
15
16
14
Feels °C
10
12
11
7
7
5
4
5
7
11
12
16
24
24
18
17
18
11
11
11
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Thurso Reef:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Thurso Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest