
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, W swell with 805 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with NNW 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 9s. 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 2.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break down the same forecast for Thurso Reef in feet.
We’ve got a couple of decent pulses coming through, but you’ll need to pick your windows. The pattern starts with a bit of size but messy wind, cleans up mid-week, then goes dead for a long stretch before a hopeful window in the second week.
Tuesday 28th July is a write-off. The morning has a 4ft swell from the NNW (moderate energy – 450) but with a cross-off wind from the SE messing it up. The afternoon cleans up with a light offshore from the SW and a 4ft N swell (379 energy), and the report says “expect good surf conditions,” but it’s small.
Wednesday 29th July is the first standout. The morning brings a solid 7ft west swell with a 9-second period and a ton of energy (859). The wind is a cross-off from the WSW, so it’s clean but a bit lumpy. The report says “marginal surf forecast,” but at 7ft on a reef, that’s a proper session. The afternoon drops to 5ft and the wind turns worse, so the morning is the call.
Thursday 30th July is a dud. A 3ft NNW swell in the morning with a cross-shore wind, and the afternoon is a messy 5ft cross-shore affair. Not worth it.
Friday 31st July is tiny. A 2ft NW swell in the morning with a clean offshore SSW wind (75 energy) – surfable but ordinary. The afternoon is even smaller.
Saturday 1st August is a tease. The morning has a 4ft west swell with a clean offshore wind from the SW (173 energy), but it’s very ordinary. The afternoon gets blown out.
Sunday 2nd August is the biggest day. The morning pumps a 8ft WNW swell with a 8-second period and 575 energy. The wind is cross-off from the WSW, so it’s clean. But 8ft on a reef is for experts only, and it’s “marginal surf forecast.” The afternoon is a 7ft cross-shore mess.
From Monday 3rd August through Friday 7th August, it’s mostly flat or tiny, with poor winds and energy readings dropping as low as 42. That’s a long gap of several days with no real surf.
Saturday 8th August brings the second standout. The morning has a 4ft WNW swell, with a clean cross-off wind from the WSW (209 energy) and the report says “expect good surf conditions.” This is a nice size for intermediates, and the wind is offshore.
Sunday 9th August morning is glassy with a tiny 2ft west swell – very small. The afternoon gets a 3ft WNW swell with a longer 10-second period (217 energy), but it’s cross-onshore.
Monday 10th August is a clean 3ft morning, but ordinary. The rest of the week into Wednesday 12th August fades, until the last morning in the data, which has a 3ft N swell with a long 11-second period (245 energy) and clean cross-off winds – “expect good surf conditions.” That’s a promising but less certain long-range call.
Best on offer: Wednesday 29th July morning for the power (7ft, W), and Saturday 8th August morning for the clean, user-friendly size (4ft, WNW). The west swell direction is right on the money for this reef.
Water temp is about average for the time of year.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 9 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | N 8 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
243 | 246 | 292 | 803 | 367 | 201 | 123 | 122 | 285 | 43 | 44 | 119 | 124 | 151 | 662 | 575 | 453 | 224 | 181 | 106 | 145 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:05AM4.29m | 9:09PM4.66m | 9:40AM4.43m | 9:42PM4.80m | 10:12AM4.53m | 10:14PM4.89m | 10:43AM4.59m | 10:44PM4.94m | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:55PM1.92m | 3:24AM1.58m | 3:30PM1.78m | 3:58AM1.44m | 4:04PM1.69m | 4:30AM1.35m | 4:37PM1.63m | 5:03AM1.31m | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | ||||||||
4:52 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:43 | — | — | 9:40 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:36 | — | — | 9:34 | — | — | 9:31 | |
mm | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NW 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | W 9 |
243 | 246 | 160 | 56 | 367 | 201 | 123 | 60 | 31 | 43 | 44 | 57 | 45 | 29 | 1 | — | — | 224 | 181 | 106 | 15 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | SE 4 | — | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | N 8 | W 7 | S 6 | W 11 | N 8 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | N 10 |
207 | 133 | 3 | — | 38 | 82 | 40 | — | — | 32 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 4 | — | — | NW 11 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 4 | — | — | 19 | 22 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 2 | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | NW 8 |
1 | — | 292 | 803 | — | — | 44 | 122 | 285 | 43 | 52 | 119 | 124 | 151 | 662 | 575 | 453 | 69 | 74 | 46 | 145 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1181 | 0 | 0 | 674 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 1 | 479 | 426 | 290 | 71 | 94 | 0 |
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.










