
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 7s period, W swell with 623 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 19s. 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 2.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim stretch for Thurso Reef. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out period of frustrating conditions. The first real surf on offer is a tiny pulse on Monday the 13th, but it’s a write-off with 2 ft of weak, short-period junk from the WNW and a messy cross-shore wind. Honestly, don’t even bother.
We then have a solid week of the same story. Through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the swell stays tiny, under 3 ft, and the wind is either cross or cross-offshore, but the wave quality is just poor. There’s a moment on Thursday morning the 16th that looks glassy, but the swell is a pathetic 1 ft – not enough to push a leaf. The combined wave energy is weak, barely hitting 27. It’s a real flat spell.
Friday the 17th through the weekend sees a little more size, maybe 3 ft to 3 ft, but the wind swings hard from the NW, smashing the place with a cross to cross-on breeze. The energy picks up a bit (139), but it’s lumpy, choppy, and no fun. The whole setup is more suited to a kite than a paddle.
Then, from Monday the 20th, the swell starts to build. We get a pulse of 5 ft on Monday morning, rising to 8 ft by Tuesday the 21st, all from the WNW. The combined energy jumps to 977, which is strong, but the wind is howling at 25 mph from the WNW, making it a total mess. For a reef break, that’s a no-go for anyone but the most experienced, and even then, it’ll be ugly.
There’s a slight glimmer on Wednesday the 22nd morning. The swell drops to a cleaner 7 ft, and the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph from the WSW, giving us clean conditions. The energy is still solid at 605. For an expert surfer, this might be the one window to look at, but it’s still a big, powerful reef wave. It’s the only time the score even gets a 2 out of 10, and that’s for “marginal” conditions.
After that, it fades back into small, weak, and windy stuff for the rest of the month. The end of the first week of August (the 25th-28th) shows some 4 ft to 5 ft swell, but the wind is either onshore, cross, or howling again. The Saturday morning of the 25th is glassy, but the swell is only 4 ft and short-period, making for ordinary, weak waves.
Bottom line: this is a brutal run. The only thing close to a standout is the Wednesday morning of the 22nd, but that’s for experts only. For everyone else, I’d be looking for a new hobby for the next two weeks. The forecast can always change, but right now, it’s a desert.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
34 | 62 | 106 | 242 | 127 | 64 | 40 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 145 | 136 | 129 | 121 | 136 | 96 | 59 | 17 | 13 | 19 | 243 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:36PM4.92m | 9:14AM4.82m | 9:27PM5.10m | 10:07AM4.91m | 10:14PM5.21m | 10:57AM4.92m | 10:59PM5.25m | 11:45AM4.85m | 11:44PM5.19m | 12:31PM4.70m | 00:29AM5.05m | 1:16PM4.50m | 1:14AM4.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:58AM1.22m | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | 4:03PM1.40m | 4:34AM0.87m | 4:47PM1.44m | 5:20AM0.88m | 5:31PM1.54m | 6:05AM1.00m | 6:14PM1.70m | 6:51AM1.22m | 6:58PM1.91m | 7:38AM1.51m | ||||||||
— | — | 4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — | 4:30 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:33 | — | — | 4:35 | — | — | 4:37 | |
— | 10:12 | — | — | 10:10 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:06 | — | — | 10:05 | — | — | 10:02 | 10:00 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | N 7 | NE 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 6 | W 8 | W 11 |
34 | 62 | 96 | 242 | 127 | 64 | 40 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 145 | 136 | 129 | 121 | 1 | 3 | 59 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 21 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | W 14 | W 12 | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | — | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | WNW 11 | W 10 | N 8 |
1 | 16 | 106 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 20 | W 19 | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | NE 7 | W 10 | E 6 | W 12 | W 19 |
— | 7 | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | W 7 |
— | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 136 | 96 | — | 15 | 66 | 104 | 243 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 24 | 191 | 214 | 31 | 94 | 94 | 218 | 71 | 71 | 0 | 141 | 141 | 15 | 517 |
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.











