Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for our local patch. The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag, with a standout window that’s worth waiting for, but plenty of quiet days to get through first.

The first real bit of action shows up on Monday the 24th of August. That morning, Thurso Reef is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds giving it some proper push. The combined swell energy is sitting at 942 (moderate wave energy), so there’s enough grunt to get you into some nice ones. This is the pick of the whole outlook – a good, clean, intermediate reef break with a consistent nature. Crowds can be a factor here sometimes, so get in early. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Monday afternoon sees the swell ease a touch to 6ft, still from the WNW with that 11-second period, but the wind picks up a bit more. It’s still clean though, just with a moderate breeze. Not quite the peak of the morning, but still a good session if you miss the early one.

After that, things drop away quickly. Tuesday morning has a 4ft W swell with a 11-second period and a fresh cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean, but the energy is much lower at 317. Still surfable for the keen. From Tuesday afternoon right through to the end of the month, it’s a poor run of small, weak swells and unfavourable winds. The surf is tiny – often under 3ft – and the period is short, so not much to get excited about.

We get a bit of a bump into September. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, the morning shows a clean 4ft WNW swell with an 8-second period and a light offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is 259 (weak to moderate), and it’s labelled as expecting good surf conditions. It’s a decent little window, but not the standout. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 5ft from the west, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the period is still short, so it’s a bit messy.

Thursday the 3rd of September is worth a mention. Clean again with a moderate cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The swell is 5ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, energy at 330. It’s a marginal call, but the conditions are clean so you could get some fun ones if you’re selective. The same goes for Friday the 4th of September – a 3ft west swell with a light offshore, clean but ordinary.

The next real chance comes on Saturday the 5th of September. We’ve got a 8ft WNW swell coming in with a 9-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The combined energy is up to 630 (moderate to strong). This is a bigger swell – over 8ft, so it’s really only for experienced surfers. It’s a marginal call though, so you’ll need to pick your moment and keep an eye on the tide. The afternoon drops to 7ft from the west, still clean but with the same caveats.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions from Sunday the 6th onwards – strong onshore winds and messy, lumpy surf. Not one for the paddle board.

All in all, the Monday the 24th of August morning session is the clear standout. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

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