Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, W swell with 335 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. 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 1.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let's talk about what we've got on offer in the Thurso area for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there's one day that's worth getting excited about. We'll start with the overall picture.
The forecast starts off on Thursday the 13th with small but clean conditions at Thurso Reef. The swell is tiny, only 1ft from the WSW, but hold on – the wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm. That makes for surfable waves, though the combined energy is weak at just 61. It's not going to blow your mind, but it's a start. The water temp is 56°, which is about normal for the time of year.
Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th look poor, with fresh cross-offshore winds that are just too strong for the small 1ft-2ft swell we've got. Not worth paddling out.
Sunday the 16th offers a brief chance in the morning with a light SE breeze and a small 3ft WNW swell, but it's still very ordinary. The rest of that day and the following week, from Monday the 17th through to around the 25th, is a long stretch of poor surf conditions. The swell stays small, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, and there's just no quality on offer. It’s a grim run, to be honest.
Now, here's the standout. Thursday the 20th of August. It's not perfect, but it's the biggest swell of the window. The swell reaches 7ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 609 – that's moderate but punchy. The wind is a cross-onshore from the north at 9 mph, so it's not glassy, but for Thurso Reef, this is the most interesting day by far. This size is pushing into expert-only territory, so it’s one for the experienced crew only. It’s a fairly consistent reef break, and crowds are possible, especially on a day like this.
After that, it quietens down again. The last few days of the window, from the 21st to the 28th of August, are back to tiny, poor surf. There's no real energy left. Friday the 28th offers a small 1ft swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, but it's just not enough to get excited about.
So, to sum it up: the one true standout is Thursday the 20th of August for the bigger, expert-friendly waves. The rest is either too small or too windy. If you're itching for a paddle, the best you'll get is the glassy Thursday the 13th for some small, clean waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 43 | 81 | 71 | 92 | 45 | 25 | 24 | 86 | 197 | 99 | 85 | 74 | 61 | 63 | 34 | 20 | 11 | 56 | 277 | 224 | 94 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:59PM5.31m | 10:39AM4.99m | 10:40PM5.35m | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:48PM1.37m | 4:17AM0.79m | 4:28PM1.34m | 4:58AM0.82m | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:01 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:51 | — |
mm | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 7 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
| kJ | 43 | 81 | 71 | 43 | 45 | 25 | 24 | 86 | 197 | 99 | 85 | 74 | 61 | 63 | 32 | 18 | 11 | 56 | 277 | 224 | 94 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | N 10 | N 10 | SE 6 | SE 5 | E 5 | — | N 9 | NW 9 | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | E 5 | — | E 5 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 34 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 23 | 21 | 87 | 57 | 48 | 13 | 41 | 34 | 20 | 10 | 2 | — | 5 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | N 9 | N 8 | — | — | W 12 | W 10 | WNW 6 | N 6 | — | ESE 4 | N 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 12 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 12 | — | — | 3 | 18 | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 10 | W 5 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | — | — | NE 4 | N 7 | N 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 92 | 60 | 78 | 82 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | — | — | 37 | 86 | 69 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1143 | 783 | 826 | 1179 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 645 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 295 |
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.
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