Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s been coming down the line.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak start for Thurso Reef. We’re looking at weak, tiny surf for days, and honestly, the whole first week doesn’t give us much to get excited about. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. There’s a long gap with no real recommendations, just small, poor quality waves for the first several days.

Okay, so we’ve got a real quiet spell from Wednesday the 26th right through to Saturday the 29th. Swell is small, energy is weak (19 to 188) and the period is short. Not worth paddling out for.

Then Sunday the 30th shows a little pulse, but even then the conditions are described as “poor” through the morning. The afternoon is the first time we see the score tick up, but it’s still just marginal. There’s a 6ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The energy picks up (426) but with the cross-off wind it could be clean enough for a look, but it’s still pretty average.

Monday the 31st to Wednesday the 2nd of September? Nada. The swell drops right back and the winds are strong and messy. The energy stays moderate, but the quality is poor. Keep the board in the car.

Now, Thursday the 3rd of September is where it starts to look a bit more interesting, but still not a stand-out. We get a 6ft to 5ft swell from the W, with clean conditions and cross-off winds from the SW to WSW. The combined energy jumps to 521 and 667. But it’s still being called poor surf, so it’s big but not together. The swell period is 10 seconds, so it’s got a bit of push but not the magic.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, comes on Monday the 7th of September. That afternoon, a 8ft swell from the NW packs a solid 528 combined energy, and we’ve got offshore winds from the SSW. The report says to expect very good surf conditions, and that’s the one we circle. That’s your best chance for a proper session in this whole 16-day window.

But fair warning – the next day, Tuesday the 8th, the ocean turns mean. We’re looking at a 13ft swell from the NW with a huge 2614 combined energy and a severe gale from the W. That’s not for paddling, that’s for watching. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s groundswell, but the wind and size make it an expert-only situation, and honestly, with that kind of wind, it might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at a beach-and-reef setup like this.

After that big blow, the surf settles back down, with Wednesday the 9th showing a 8ft to 8ft W swell, but with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. Not the best, but there’s a lot of energy pushing through.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The one to wait for is Monday afternoon the 7th of September. That’s the best on offer. After that, it gets wild and then fades. Stay keen.

Rusty

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