Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with 989 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 2.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for our local patch. The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag, with a standout window that’s worth waiting for, but plenty of quiet days to get through first.
The first real bit of action shows up on Monday the 24th of August. That morning, Thurso Reef is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds giving it some proper push. The combined swell energy is sitting at 942 (moderate wave energy), so there’s enough grunt to get you into some nice ones. This is the pick of the whole outlook – a good, clean, intermediate reef break with a consistent nature. Crowds can be a factor here sometimes, so get in early. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.
Monday afternoon sees the swell ease a touch to 6ft, still from the WNW with that 11-second period, but the wind picks up a bit more. It’s still clean though, just with a moderate breeze. Not quite the peak of the morning, but still a good session if you miss the early one.
After that, things drop away quickly. Tuesday morning has a 4ft W swell with a 11-second period and a fresh cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean, but the energy is much lower at 317. Still surfable for the keen. From Tuesday afternoon right through to the end of the month, it’s a poor run of small, weak swells and unfavourable winds. The surf is tiny – often under 3ft – and the period is short, so not much to get excited about.
We get a bit of a bump into September. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, the morning shows a clean 4ft WNW swell with an 8-second period and a light offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is 259 (weak to moderate), and it’s labelled as expecting good surf conditions. It’s a decent little window, but not the standout. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 5ft from the west, but the wind turns cross-onshore and the period is still short, so it’s a bit messy.
Thursday the 3rd of September is worth a mention. Clean again with a moderate cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The swell is 5ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, energy at 330. It’s a marginal call, but the conditions are clean so you could get some fun ones if you’re selective. The same goes for Friday the 4th of September – a 3ft west swell with a light offshore, clean but ordinary.
The next real chance comes on Saturday the 5th of September. We’ve got a 8ft WNW swell coming in with a 9-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The combined energy is up to 630 (moderate to strong). This is a bigger swell – over 8ft, so it’s really only for experienced surfers. It’s a marginal call though, so you’ll need to pick your moment and keep an eye on the tide. The afternoon drops to 7ft from the west, still clean but with the same caveats.
After that, it’s back to poor conditions from Sunday the 6th onwards – strong onshore winds and messy, lumpy surf. Not one for the paddle board.
All in all, the Monday the 24th of August morning session is the clear standout. Get on it if you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | E 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
93 | 113 | 452 | 942 | 778 | 551 | 317 | 140 | 73 | 39 | 35 | 71 | 71 | 60 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 74 | 80 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | 7:22AM3.94m | 7:29PM4.24m | 8:08AM4.17m | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | 9:14AM4.57m | 9:16PM4.89m | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:23PM2.55m | 1:05AM2.25m | 1:18PM2.35m | 1:49AM1.97m | 1:59PM2.11m | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | ||||||||
5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | 15 | 17 | 7 | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | N 8 | NW 10 | NNW 8 |
26 | 113 | 452 | 942 | 778 | 551 | 317 | 140 | 73 | 39 | 35 | 18 | 71 | 60 | 22 | 64 | 74 | 40 | 28 | 74 | 80 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 11 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 8 | W 8 | NNE 4 | NW 10 | N 7 | N 10 |
6 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 5 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 8 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | N 7 | N 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | N 8 |
2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 14 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 3 | E 3 | E 4 | E 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ESE 4 | E 5 |
93 | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 71 | 101 | 104 | 99 | — | — | — | 134 | 20 | 31 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 71 | 297 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 178 | 100 | 0 | 41 | 111 | 71 | 141 | 44 | 0 | 9 | 73 |
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.











