Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, W swell with 408 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s 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 (Jul 09) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. 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 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the forecast for Thurso Reef. Let’s be straight with you – this first batch of the outlook is a grind. The only real window of interest is a single morning session early on, and then a long, frustrating stretch of nothing until a potentially big, ugly swell shows up way down the line.
We’ve got a bit of a pulse arriving on Thursday, July 9th. The morning session is where it’s at. The swell is coming from the W at 3.6ft, with a 9-second period. The combined wave energy is moderate at 214. Wind is a light SSE cross-off, so it should be clean. That’s the only call in the first week that’s worth getting out of bed for. After that, it’s a mess of onshore and cross-onshore winds with poor conditions, dropping down to tiny, weak waves for the rest of the week and into the next.
Now, for the brave souls looking at the second week. Around July 22nd and 23rd, the swell kicks up significantly. The combined energy jumps to massive numbers – 2223 for the 22nd and 1355 for the 23rd. We’re looking at WNW swell hitting 8.2ft with a very long period of 14 seconds on the 23rd. That’s a serious groundswell, but here’s the kicker: the wind is a fresh cross-onshore to moderate cross-onshore breeze. This is going to be a raw, powerful, and messy affair. That size (over 8.2ft) is for experts only, and the wind is going to sully it. The setup at Thurso Reef is a reef, so that long-period swell will actually wrap in nicely, but the wind is the enemy here. It’s a promising but very uncertain prospect.
Overall, the combination of poor wind and questionable conditions for most of the run means we’re scraping for a highlight. The Thursday morning, July 9th, is your best bet this far out.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 194 | 264 | 184 | 99 | 332 | 408 | 273 | 207 | 129 | 64 | 62 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 184 | 343 | 260 | 151 | 81 | 56 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:32PM4.19m | 4:44AM4.32m | 5:39PM4.30m | 5:57AM4.37m | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | 8:36PM4.92m | 9:14AM4.82m | 9:27PM5.10m | 10:07AM4.91m | 10:14PM5.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | 11:26AM1.91m | 00:02AM2.14m | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | 2:27PM1.53m | 2:58AM1.22m | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | 4:03PM1.40m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 4:18 | — | — | 4:20 | — | — | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:16 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | — | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:10 | — | — | 10:08 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 24 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 194 | 264 | 184 | 99 | 332 | 408 | 273 | 207 | 129 | 64 | 62 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 184 | 343 | 260 | 151 | 81 | 56 | 40 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | W 12 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NE 7 | E 6 | NE 7 | E 6 | W 12 | WNW 13 | W 19 | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | E 6 |
| kJ | 20 | 20 | 9 | 73 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 62 | 7 | — | 6 | 6 | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 21 | W 15 | W 20 | — | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 7 | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | E 5 | SE 2 | SE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 9 | 94 | 31 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
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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