Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. This is your local surf reporter, Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for Thurso Reef. It's a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We've got some solid swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a real pain for a good chunk of it.

The overall pattern is this: a big pulse of strong, long-period swell hits this weekend, but it's going to be absolutely trashed by strong cross-shore winds. That's a write-off, unless you're a kite surfer. Then, things start to settle down for a few days in the middle of next week, offering the best chance for a decent paddle. The last week of the forecast is pretty quiet, with small, weak waves.

Let's start with the immediate future. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th of July, we've got a building swell – around 5ft to 8ft from the WNW, but the wind is a strong cross-off or cross-shore, gusting 18 to 25 mph. The water feels about average for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate to strong (282 to 980), but it’s just messy. It's not worth suiting up for.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are a write-off. That strong WNW swell peaks at 13ft on Saturday with a period of 10 seconds, which is a serious groundswell. The wave energy is massive (3008), but the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-shore, creating a horrible cross-chop. This is not for paddle surfing; the setup looks more interesting for a kite session. The swell drops to 6ft on Sunday, but the wind is still a fresh 22 mph cross-shore. Still messy.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Monday the 27th of July is your best bet. The wind drops right out. By the afternoon, we've got a light breeze from the WSW, blowing cross-offshore, and the swell is 4ft from the W with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (578), and it’s clean. This is definitely the standout window. Expect good surf. The forecast confidence is high for this one.

Tuesday the 28th is also a decent option. The morning has a moderate offshore wind from the SSW, with 5ft of W swell. The energy is moderate (474), and it's clean. The wind turns a little cross-off in the afternoon, but it's still a good day.

The rest of the week drops off. Wednesday the 29th is small and weak, with 3ft waves and a light wind. Thursday the 30th is blown out again. Friday the 31st of July has a tiny 2ft glassy morning, but the energy is very weak (73). Then it's a stretch of small, weak swell and mostly cross-off or cross-shore winds through the first week of August. The energy readings are all low, mostly under 250. The waves are just not there.

To sum it up: Monday the 27th of July is the clear standout. The combination of a clean, light offshore wind and a solid 4ft groundswell will make for the best surf of the whole period. It's a reef break, and with the WNW swell direction coming in from the optimum NW angle, it should be working well. The crowds are possible, but it's a weekday, so you might get lucky. After that, the juice is gone.

Rusty.

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