Thurso Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Reef sea temperature is
13.1° C
0.5° 

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 18 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, W swell with 1,469 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 9s 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Fri 24th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Best Surf10AM (Fri 24th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 1PM (Fri 24th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s talk about Thurso Reef. I’ve been staring at the charts for a while, and honestly, it’s a bit of a rough start. For the next week or so, we’re looking at a long stretch of messy, blown‑out conditions. The wind is mostly cross or cross‑onshore, the swell is short‑period and choppy, and the wave energy is moderate at best – nothing to get excited about. The water’s sitting at 55.6°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer comes on Monday morning, July 27. That’s a full ten days away, but it’s the only time in the whole 16‑day window where things line up. We’ve got a 4.3ft swell from the west, with a 10‑second period – solid groundswell, nice and clean. The wind is light southerly, 6 mph, and it’s offshore, so the reef should be glassy. The combined energy is 370 – that’s moderate, but it’s enough to push some nice lines. This is your best chance for a proper session. The swell direction isn’t the perfect NW that Thurso prefers, but that clean offshore wind will make up for it. Crowds are possible – it’s a fairly consistent spot, so expect a few locals out.

After that, things go back to messy cross‑shore winds and lumpy chop. There’s a little pulse on the 24th and 25th with bigger swell (up to 8ft) but the wind is cross‑shore or cross‑onshore, so it’s not worth the paddle. The second week shows some moderate energy but the wind keeps it raw. Honestly, if you’re after a clean wave, mark your calendar for Monday 27th morning. It’s your only window.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Tue morning, moderate winds from the W by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
!
!
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
NW
8
1.2
NW
7
1.2
NW
7
0.9
WNW
7
1
WNW
7
1
WNW
5
1.2
WNW
8
1.2
WNW
8
1.2
WNW
8
1.7
WNW
6
1.9
WNW
7
2.2
WNW
7
1.9
NW
8
1.6
NW
8
1.3
WNW
8
1.4
WNW
8
1.8
WNW
7
2.2
W
7
3
WNW
9
3
W
9
2.5
WNW
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
140
156
143
84
105
46
166
171
179
181
302
490
463
322
220
210
290
537
1274
1469
1106
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
25
NNW
20
NW
25
WNW
30
WNW
25
NW
20
WNW
20
WNW
30
WNW
40
W
40
WNW
30
WNW
25
NW
25
NW
20
WNW
30
WNW
25
WNW
20
WSW
20
SW
30
WSW
30
W
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:31PM4.70m
00:29AM5.05m
1:16PM4.50m
1:14AM4.84m
2:04PM4.29m
2:03AM4.58m
2:54PM4.11m
2:57AM4.31m
3:51PM3.98m
4:00AM4.08m
4:54PM3.95m
5:13AM3.94m
6:01PM4.00m
Low Tide
6:05AM1.00m
6:14PM1.70m
6:51AM1.22m
6:58PM1.91m
7:38AM1.51m
7:46PM2.13m
8:29AM1.81m
8:40PM2.34m
9:27AM2.09m
9:49PM2.49m
10:35AM2.28m
11:12PM2.51m
11:45AM2.35m
00:26AM2.39m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
4:33
4:35
4:37
4:39
4:41
4:43
4:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
10:05
10:02
10:00
9:59
9:57
9:54
9:53
 mm
Temp °C
12
12
11
14
13
12
13
13
12
13
13
12
12
13
13
16
18
15
15
15
14
Feels °C
8
7
7
9
8
7
9
9
6
5
6
6
7
8
9
11
14
11
11
10
8
  • 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