
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 3,367 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, come take a look at what’s shaping up for Thurso Reef. It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some real strong pulses of energy early on, but we’ve got to work around some sloppy winds before it cleans up proper.
We kick off this Saturday, the 25th of July, with a big, raw swell pounding in. We’re looking at a solid 13 ft swell out of the WNW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a hefty 3367, so there’s serious power in the water. Problem is, it’s howling at 28 mph from the WNW, making for strong cross-shore winds and a messy cross-chop. The surf quality is poor, so it’s more of a washing machine than a wave face. This is really only for the highly experienced, as anything over 8 ft is expert-only territory, and the onshore wind is wrecking it.
Sunday the 26th drops back a bit to a 5 ft swell out of the WNW, but we’ve still got cross-onshore winds and a choppy surface, so it’s marginal at best. Monday the 27th sees the swell dip to 5 ft from the NNW, and the wind turns cross-offshore, cleaning things up nicely. The water’s clean in the morning, and while the energy is moderate at 835, it’s a far cry from the weekend chaos. Good for a paddle and a few grovelly ones.
Now, here’s the standout. Tuesday the 28th of July is your window. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period, but the kicker is a light offshore breeze from the SSW. That gentle offshore wind is going to groom this reef beautifully, giving us clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is 406, so it’s moderate but plenty for this spot. This is the good stuff.
The rest of the week fades out quickly. Wednesday the 29th drops to 3 ft with weak energy (159), and by Thursday the 30th we’re down to 2 ft and 89 energy. We then hit a proper flat spell from the end of July through the start of August. From the 31st of July right through to the 5th of August, it’s a run of tiny, weak, and mostly blown-out conditions, with energy readings consistently below 100. On the 2nd of August, we get a spike to 7 ft from the W and glassy conditions in the afternoon, but that’s a one-off pulse and it’s a short window.
Looking to the second week, things get interesting again. On Friday the 7th of August, the swell pumps back up to 10 ft from the W with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is a very strong 1267. However, the wind is onshore from the north, and the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a big, messy brute for experts only, and the tide needs to be right. Saturday the 8th drops to 6 ft from the NW, but with cross-shore winds and only moderate energy (433), it’s a step down. Beyond that, the outlook fades back into small, weak surf for the 9th of August onwards.
In a nutshell, don’t bother with this weekend’s stormy mess. Wait for that Tuesday the 28th to score clean, offshore lines. The big pulse on the 7th of August is worth a look if you’re an expert, but it’s a gamble with the size and onshore wind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri night, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the SW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3367 | 2440 | 1087 | 544 | 402 | 563 | 435 | 383 | 326 | 212 | 327 | 185 | 113 | 132 | 64 | 46 | 45 | 30 | 23 | 34 | 71 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:29AM3.92m | 7:01PM4.14m | 7:34AM4.01m | 7:51PM4.32m | 8:24AM4.15m | 8:32PM4.50m | 9:05AM4.29m | 9:09PM4.66m | 9:40AM4.43m | 9:42PM4.80m | 10:12AM4.53m | 10:14PM4.89m | 10:43AM4.59m | 10:44PM4.94m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:46PM2.31m | 1:24AM2.19m | 1:36PM2.21m | 2:10AM1.96m | 2:18PM2.06m | 2:49AM1.76m | 2:55PM1.92m | 3:24AM1.58m | 3:30PM1.78m | 3:58AM1.44m | 4:04PM1.69m | 4:30AM1.35m | 4:37PM1.63m | ||||||||
4:47 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:50 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:52 | — | — | 9:49 | — | — | 9:46 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:43 | — | — | 9:40 | — | — | 9:38 | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | W 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 7 | W 7 | N 7 | N 8 |
— | — | 1087 | 544 | 380 | 563 | 435 | 383 | 326 | 194 | 162 | 185 | 113 | 132 | 64 | 46 | 45 | 26 | 23 | 17 | 21 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 | ESE 5 | E 4 |
— | — | 197 | 244 | 402 | 346 | 400 | 339 | 235 | 212 | 26 | 116 | 46 | 29 | 52 | 42 | 41 | 30 | 18 | 4 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | SE 5 | — | SE 4 | — | — | N 8 | N 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | SW 3 | W 9 | SSE 3 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — | — | ESE 3 | W 7 | WNW 7 |
3367 | 2440 | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | 2 | 327 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 34 | 71 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 696 | 815 | 26 | 27 | 1143 | 26 | 26 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 426 | 1 | 0 | 426 | 71 | 0 |
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.










