Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period, W swell with 457 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 1.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for Thurso Reef.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. Looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a real struggle. There’s a long stretch of poor conditions right from the start. For the first week, we’re looking at a lot of messy, choppy surf with cross and cross-onshore winds that just won’t clean up. The swell is there, but it’s all wind-affected and not worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The real kicker is that nothing really gets good. The best we can hope for is a slight uptick around Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th. On Monday afternoon, we get a bit of a WNW swell hitting 3ft, and for the first time we see clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze from the SE. The combined energy is moderate (211), and the period stretches to 11 seconds, so there’s a bit of groundswell push behind it. That’s the closest thing to a highlight. The break itself is a reef, so it’ll handle that long-period energy better than a beach break might. But the surf is still marginal at best, and the swell is tiny.
There’s a small window of clean conditions on the 25th and 26th, but the swell drops right off to 2ft – not enough to get excited about. After that, it’s back to tiny, weak waves. There’s a long gap of poor or non-existent surf, and even the end of the forecast period into September still looks flat and weak. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong cross-offshore winds on the 25th might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, there’s just nothing to get your heart racing.
So, honestly, my pick for the best on offer is that Monday the 24th afternoon. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the cleanest and biggest we’ll see. The wind is clean, the swell is from the WNW at 3ft, and it’s a reef setup. It’s not a standout in any normal sense, but it’s the only light in the tunnel.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the N by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri night, light winds from the SE by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 5 | N 7 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 7 | N 8 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | 17 | 74 | 387 | 257 | 123 | 213 | 221 | 165 | 135 | 98 | 128 | 62 | 53 | 44 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 43 | 206 | 249 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:44PM3.95m | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | 4:38AM3.72m | 5:18PM3.86m | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | 7:22AM3.94m | 7:29PM4.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | 8:23AM2.27m | 8:51PM2.49m | 9:29AM2.54m | 10:25PM2.60m | 11:03AM2.65m | 00:01AM2.49m | 12:23PM2.55m | 1:05AM2.25m | 1:18PM2.35m | 1:49AM1.97m | ||||||||
5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | |
— | 8:53 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | |
mm | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | ESE 5 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | WNW 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
22 | 10 | 45 | 387 | 257 | 123 | 72 | 47 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 29 | 27 | 4 | 18 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 21 | 206 | 249 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | N 7 | W 12 | NNE 7 | SE 4 | ENE 8 | — | — | NE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | N 8 | WNW 10 | NNE 7 | N 7 |
12 | 17 | 74 | 15 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 26 | 18 | 43 | 5 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 8 | W 5 | — | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | — | W 7 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | N 6 | W 12 | NNE 7 | — | — |
— | 5 | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 8 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 11 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | — | — | E 4 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 7 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | SE 3 | ESE 4 |
48 | — | — | 10 | 53 | 93 | 213 | 221 | 165 | 135 | 98 | 128 | 62 | 53 | 44 | — | 20 | — | — | 2 | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 28 | 1 | 9 | 41 | 94 | 357 | 752 | 225 | 191 | 71 | 218 | 94 | 261 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 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.











