Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, W swell with 333 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 16) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s is also forecast. 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 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
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 on offer for the Thurso Reef area.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a blank stretch. The first few days are a write-off, with nothing worth paddling out for. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees some surf, but it’s messy on Saturday with a strong cross-off wind and rain showers, and the swell is a weak, short-period 4.6ft from the west, combined energy of all swells directed here at 293, which is moderate but the wind kills it. Sunday the 16th is a little better with a clean 3.9ft swell and a gentle cross-off breeze, but it’s still ordinary and not a standout.
Things stay quiet through the middle of the week with tiny, weak energy and poor conditions. The real potential shows up later. Wednesday the 19th has a small pulse of 3.3ft at 10 seconds from the west, with combined energy of 193, but the wind is light cross-shore, causing ripples, so it’s not clean.
The standout window is Thursday the 27th of August. We’ve got glassy conditions with a light SSW breeze and a clean 2.6ft north swell, period of 9 seconds. The combined energy of all swells directed here is 144, which is moderate, and the glassy wind will make for clean, peelable waves on this reef. The water temp is about 56.3°, which is pretty normal for the time of year. This is the best on offer, and it’s a solid morning session for an intermediate surfer.
Before that, Wednesday the 26th sees a bump in size with 5.2ft from the northwest, period of 7 seconds, and combined energy of 324, which is strong. The wind is cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. That’s a bigger, more powerful day, but the short period means it’ll be a bit on the fat side, and it’s not perfectly clean. Worth a look for the more experienced crew, but it’s not the gem.
The second week is a mixed bag of wind and chop, with no real standouts after the 27th. The 28th and 29th are blown out by strong cross-off winds, and the swell is tiny. We’re looking at a long wait for that one good day on the 27th, but it’s a beauty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | W 9 | N 7 | N 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 24 | 270 | 270 | 187 | 91 | 40 | 38 | 41 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 140 | 181 | 290 | 279 | 184 | 86 | 104 | 113 | 133 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 2:44PM3.95m | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:23AM2.27m | 8:51PM2.49m | 9:29AM2.54m | 10:25PM2.60m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:01 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:45 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 |
| kJ | 24 | 23 | 12 | 26 | 91 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 140 | 181 | 290 | 279 | 184 | 80 | 22 | 113 | 133 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | ESE 5 | W 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | NE 5 | — | NE 4 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 11 | 42 | 40 | 13 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 21 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 10 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | W 5 | W 8 | W 9 | — | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | — | W 4 | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 5 | NE 3 |
| kJ | 105 | 270 | 270 | 187 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 28 | — | 13 | — | — | — | 33 | 65 | 86 | 104 | 6 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 596 | 770 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 41 | 16 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 73 | 770 | 214 | 214 | 94 | 94 |
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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