
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, W swell with 3,911 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period with WNW 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 (Sep 05) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 12s period. 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 3.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Thurso Reef.
Alright, we’re kicking off this 16-day stretch with some real muscle in the water, but it comes with a side of nasty wind that’s going to make it a battle. The real standout window is going to be around Monday the 14th of September for the experienced crew. But let’s break it down day by day.
First up, Friday the 4th of September afternoon, we’ve got a solid 13ft swell pushing in from the West with a short, punchy 9-second period. The combined energy is a hefty 2442, so there’s plenty of power, but that 37 mph cross-offshore wind from the West is making a mess of it. It’s a bit of a washout for a good session, just raw power and howling wind. The water temp is sitting at a pretty standard 57°, so nothing unusual there for this time of year.
Saturday the 5th morning sees the swell drop a touch to 12ft from the WNW, but the wind is still a strong 25 mph cross-shore from the WNW. It’s going to be choppy and cross. Saturday afternoon is a bit of a different story – the wind drops to 19 mph from the West, going cross-offshore, and the swell settles to a cleaner 10ft with a 10-second period (energy 1463). The forecast says it’s too big for this break though, so this is really for the confident charger only.
Sunday the 6th is a big drop-off – we’re down to 3ft and 2ft through the day, with poor surf conditions. A lull settles in.
Monday the 7th of September looks a bit more promising. Morning brings a 4ft swell from the West with a short 7-second period, but the wind is SSW at 16 mph and offshore. It’s clean. Afternoon sees a jump to 5ft from the West with a much longer 12-second period (energy 773), and the wind is still fresh offshore from the SW at 19 mph. The wave comment flags it as marginal, but that’s a clean, proper groundswell window for the intermediate surfer.
Tuesday the 8th gets serious. Morning has a 8ft swell from the West with a 13-second period – that’s a solid groundswell, energy at 2243. The wind is a strong 25 mph offshore from the SSW. The notes say it’s hard to paddle into and marginal. This is big, powerful, and raw – experts only. The afternoon holds similar size but lighter cross-offshore wind.
After that, Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are pretty poor with onshore slop and very small waves.
Here’s where we hit the standout window. Sunday the 13th of September morning is looking sweet. We get a 6ft groundswell from the WNW (10 seconds, energy 674) with light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze from the South. The forecast says “very good surf conditions.” That’s a clean, manageable size for an intermediate and a proper session.
But the real highlight, the one to circle on the calendar, is Monday the 14th of September. Monday morning delivers a 7ft swell from the WNW with a *very long* 14-second period (energy 2287). The wind is a gentle 9 mph offshore from the SSW. The forecast calls it *excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers*. This is a top-shelf groundswell – long lines, plenty of push, and glassy conditions. That’s the pick for the fortnight for anyone with the skill. The afternoon gets wrecked by a strong cross-shore, so the morning session is the one.
The rest of the second week gets messy with building swell and shifting winds, but nothing comes close to that Monday morning. A few days offer marginal conditions with cross-chop, and by Saturday the 19th we’re back down to knee-high slop.
This is a reef, so with these longer-period swells, it’ll hold shape nicely when clean, but remember, it can get a bit straight at the beachier spots. Crowds are possible here on the good days.
It’s not a perfect run, but that Monday the 14th window is a genuine highlight. Get on it if you can handle it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Mon night, light winds from the S by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 9 | W 7 | W 12 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2431 | 1713 | 1595 | 1463 | 516 | 117 | 68 | 149 | 177 | 772 | 3294 | 2243 | 1827 | 610 | 197 | 254 | 76 | 70 | 43 | 29 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
8:07 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SE 6 | W 7 | W 12 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
11 | 5 | — | — | 516 | 117 | 68 | 17 | 177 | 772 | 3294 | 2243 | 1827 | 610 | 125 | 88 | 76 | 70 | 43 | 29 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 10 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WSW 11 | N 8 | — | — | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | N 8 | N 5 | N 5 | W 11 |
— | — | — | — | 7 | 78 | 48 | 8 | 38 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | N 6 |
— | — | — | — | 5 | 16 | 14 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | — | SE 4 | SSE 3 | WSW 9 | — | SSE 3 | SE 7 | S 4 | SSE 4 | NNE 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | — | — | S 3 |
2431 | 1713 | 1595 | 1463 | — | 10 | 7 | 149 | — | 2 | 7 | 33 | 15 | 13 | 197 | 254 | 72 | — | — | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 617 | 617 | 594 | 413 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 617 | 617 | 755 | 674 | 524 | 523 | 94 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
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.










