Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, come take a look at what’s shaping up for Thurso Reef. It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some real strong pulses of energy early on, but we’ve got to work around some sloppy winds before it cleans up proper.

We kick off this Saturday, the 25th of July, with a big, raw swell pounding in. We’re looking at a solid 13 ft swell out of the WNW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a hefty 3367, so there’s serious power in the water. Problem is, it’s howling at 28 mph from the WNW, making for strong cross-shore winds and a messy cross-chop. The surf quality is poor, so it’s more of a washing machine than a wave face. This is really only for the highly experienced, as anything over 8 ft is expert-only territory, and the onshore wind is wrecking it.

Sunday the 26th drops back a bit to a 5 ft swell out of the WNW, but we’ve still got cross-onshore winds and a choppy surface, so it’s marginal at best. Monday the 27th sees the swell dip to 5 ft from the NNW, and the wind turns cross-offshore, cleaning things up nicely. The water’s clean in the morning, and while the energy is moderate at 835, it’s a far cry from the weekend chaos. Good for a paddle and a few grovelly ones.

Now, here’s the standout. Tuesday the 28th of July is your window. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period, but the kicker is a light offshore breeze from the SSW. That gentle offshore wind is going to groom this reef beautifully, giving us clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is 406, so it’s moderate but plenty for this spot. This is the good stuff.

The rest of the week fades out quickly. Wednesday the 29th drops to 3 ft with weak energy (159), and by Thursday the 30th we’re down to 2 ft and 89 energy. We then hit a proper flat spell from the end of July through the start of August. From the 31st of July right through to the 5th of August, it’s a run of tiny, weak, and mostly blown-out conditions, with energy readings consistently below 100. On the 2nd of August, we get a spike to 7 ft from the W and glassy conditions in the afternoon, but that’s a one-off pulse and it’s a short window.

Looking to the second week, things get interesting again. On Friday the 7th of August, the swell pumps back up to 10 ft from the W with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is a very strong 1267. However, the wind is onshore from the north, and the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a big, messy brute for experts only, and the tide needs to be right. Saturday the 8th drops to 6 ft from the NW, but with cross-shore winds and only moderate energy (433), it’s a step down. Beyond that, the outlook fades back into small, weak surf for the 9th of August onwards.

In a nutshell, don’t bother with this weekend’s stormy mess. Wait for that Tuesday the 28th to score clean, offshore lines. The big pulse on the 7th of August is worth a look if you’re an expert, but it’s a gamble with the size and onshore wind.

Rusty.

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