Thurso Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 08 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Reef sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.7° 

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 8 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, WNW swell with 4,680 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with W 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) 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 1.2m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Wed 9th Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 9s
Best Surf 4AM (Sat 12th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 1PM (Tue 15th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, it's Rusty. Let's look at what's on the table for Thurso Reef.

We've got a classic problem here: plenty of swell in the water, but for weeks, it's just too much juice for this reef. We're talking solid W and WNW lines pushing through, but the size is consistently into the "expert only" or "just too big" territory. The water's sitting around 56°, which is about what you'd expect for this time of year, no wild anomalies.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Monday, the 14th of September, in the morning. The swell drops to a tiny 0.9 feet from the NNW, but it's a 11-second groundswell which will wrap in nicely. The wind is a moderate offshore from the SSW, so the reef will be clean and tidy. The energy is low at 349, so don't expect much push, but it's a wave count. After that, it's right back into the big stuff.

Tuesday the 15th fires up with a massive 12 foot W swell and strong cross-offshore winds. The energy reading is 2525 (moderate to strong), but it's way too big for a comfortable paddle. Tuesday afternoon cranks it up to nearly 15 feet from the WNW, hitting 40 km/h cross-off winds and an energy of 6295 (strong to very strong). That's kite-surfing territory, not paddle-surfing.

And so it goes, right through to the 20th of September. The morning of the 19th has clean, glassy conditions with a 10 foot W swell, but the reef is still handling that much water awkwardly. The energy figures are all in the four digits (strong), and the "too big" call stays.

Finally, on Monday, the 21st of September, we get the standout. The morning brings a solid 7 foot W swell with light cross-offshore wind. The energy is 705 (moderate), and the forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." This is it. A good 6-7 foot groundswell, clean winds, and a working reef. That's your session.

The next morning, Tuesday the 22nd of September, looks absolutely insane for experts. We're talking a 12 foot WNW swell, but the wind is glassy from the SW (0 km/h), and the period is a massive 15 seconds. The energy is 5224 (strong to very strong). For the advanced crew, that's a world-class window, but it's a step up from the 21st.

So, to wrap it up: the 14th is a small-wave re-entry. The one to get excited for is the 21st of September morning. For the brave, the 22nd morning is your heavy, clean bomb.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri morning, calm by Sun afternoon).

Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
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
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
2
!
!
1
1
1
2
2
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
W
11
2.5
WNW
11
2.5
NW
9
1.5
NNW
8
1
W
9
0.6
W
8
0.9
WNW
7
0.9
W
8
1.4
W
11
2.2
W
7
2.3
W
9
1.9
WNW
14
3.5
WNW
13
3
WNW
13
2.3
WNW
12
1.9
WNW
11
1.7
WNW
11
1.3
WNW
10
0.9
NNW
11
2.1
W
11
2.5
W
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2282
1410
1208
271
157
48
89
90
434
474
904
1475
3697
2866
1547
870
643
301
180
1065
1732
Wind (km/h)
30
SSW
35
N
35
NW
20
WNW
10
WNW
15
SSE
25
SSE
20
SSE
30
WSW
35
W
35
W
25
SW
25
SSE
20
SSW
25
NW
20
WNW
10
NW
20
SSE
15
SSW
20
SW
15
WSW
Wind State
off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
7:29PM4.65m
8:16AM4.69m
8:17PM4.95m
9:00AM4.89m
9:00PM5.19m
9:38AM5.00m
9:38PM5.31m
10:12AM5.01m
10:14PM5.32m
10:45AM4.94m
10:49PM5.21m
11:16AM4.81m
11:23PM5.00m
Low Tide
1:20PM1.99m
1:50AM1.36m
2:08PM1.71m
2:35AM1.05m
2:50PM1.49m
3:16AM0.87m
3:29PM1.34m
3:55AM0.82m
4:05PM1.28m
4:31AM0.90m
4:40PM1.32m
5:06AM1.09m
5:15PM1.44m
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:26
6:28
6:30
6:33
6:35
6:37
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:54
7:52
7:50
7:46
7:44
7:40
7:37
 mm
2
2
1
1
1
3
Temp °C
13
13
11
12
13
11
14
15
14
13
14
12
13
16
15
13
13
13
18
18
14
Feels °C
8
6
4
7
10
8
8
11
9
5
7
6
8
13
11
9
10
9
15
15
11
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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