Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, NNW swell with 462 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period with NW 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 (Aug 29) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 7s 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 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sun night, fresh winds from the W by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 12 | 22 | 67 | 57 | 35 | 11 | 11 | 47 | 119 | 188 | 262 | 422 | 416 | 178 | 100 | 78 | 57 | 89 | 86 | 53 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | 9:14AM4.57m | 9:16PM4.89m | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | 4:35AM1.10m | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 8:31 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 11 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 6 | W 9 | W 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
19 | 11 | 10 | 67 | 57 | 35 | 17 | 64 | 49 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 178 | 100 | 78 | 57 | 25 | 24 | 53 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 8 | WNW 11 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 11 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | NW 6 | S 5 | N 7 |
— | 12 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 47 | 1 | 1 | 16 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | N 6 | N 7 | — | — | — | S 6 | — | W 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | NW 6 | — | — | NNW 12 |
— | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 2 | — | — | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 6 | ENE 3 | NNE 4 | WNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 5 |
8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 47 | 119 | 188 | 262 | 422 | 416 | — | — | — | — | 89 | 86 | 37 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 177 | 177 | 89 | 1 | 9 | 170 | 295 | 209 | 165 | 94 | 94 | 28 | 53 | 53 | 44 | 306 | 815 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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.











