Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Thurso Reef. To be straight with you, the first week is a bit of a grind. We’ve got small, messy waves and onshore winds making a mess of things for days. The swell is there, but it’s short-period stuff, mostly around 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind just won’t get out of the way. Friday the 17th through to Thursday the 23rd of July is pretty much a write-off – poor surf conditions, cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes, and the wave energy is weak to moderate at best. You’ll see combined energy values sitting between 116 and 283, which tells you it’s not packing any punch. It’s a frustrating stretch, and honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Now, things start to shift a little from Friday the 24th of July. The wind swings more cross-offshore, and the swell starts to build. The morning of the 24th has clean conditions with a 6 ft swell from the WNW, period around 8 seconds, and combined energy at 484. That’s still only marginal, but it’s a step in the right direction. The afternoon gets a bit stronger, 7 ft from the west, but the wind picks up to 35 km/h, so it’s going to be a bit of a handful.

The standout window really opens up on Saturday the 25th of July. That morning we’ve got a 7 ft swell from the WNW, period stretching to 10 seconds, and combined energy jumping to 833. The wind is cross-offshore from the west at 25 km/h, so the surf is going to be clean and lined up. This is where the reef starts to show its teeth. The size is pushing into that intermediate to expert territory – over 5 ft, so it’s not for beginners, but it’s not quite the big stuff yet. The swell direction is WNW, which is close to the optimum from the northwest, so the break should be handling it well. The afternoon on the 25th holds similar quality, with 6 ft and 665 energy.

Sunday the 26th of July is still clean in the morning, 6 ft from the west with a 9-second period, but the wind is lighter. The afternoon, though, swings cross-on from the northwest with a light breeze, so it’ll get a bit bumpy. That Saturday morning, the 25th, is your best bet – good size, clean lines, and the reef will be firing. Expect crowds, because this spot can get busy, especially when it’s good.

Looking further out, Monday the 27th of July has a big pulse of swell moving in: 8 ft to 8 ft from the WNW, with a period of 11 to 12 seconds. That’s groundswell, long-period energy, and combined energy hits 1244 to 1588 – that’s strong. The wind on the Monday afternoon is cross-offshore from the southeast at 20 km/h, so it’s clean. But this is getting big – over 8 ft, so this is expert territory only. The longer period at 12 seconds means the sets will be more powerful and the gaps between them longer. On a reef, that can be excellent, but you need to know what you’re doing. The swell direction is WNW, which is again right in the sweet spot. This is a promising, long-range standout, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

The water temperature is sitting at 56°F, with an anomaly of 0.9°F – that’s pretty much average for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

For the rest of the period, Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 31st of July, the surf drops back and the conditions turn more mixed. There’s a glassy morning on Friday the 31st with a 6 ft swell from the NNW, but that’s short-period and likely weak. It’s a fleeting moment. Up to the 1st of August, it’s mostly poor again.

So, the best on offer? Saturday the 25th of July for the clean, solid reef waves, and Monday the 27th of July for the bigger, more powerful groundswell – but that one’s for the experienced crew only.

Rusty.

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