
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 6 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 6 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, W swell with 527 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 06) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 6th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Right, grab ya cuppa, fire up the 4WD, and let's talk about Thurso Reef. It's been a mixed bag this week, and if you're looking for something special, well, you have to pick your moments carefully. For the next sixteen days, it's not gonna be a total write-off, but there will be a lot of waiting around. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2mm steamer should do ya for the early sessions.
We start on Monday morning, the 6th of July, with a small, clean 2.6ft swell rolling in from the west. The wind's glassy out of the east, and the combined swell energy is a moderate 141. It's surfable, but honestly, it's very ordinary. The afternoon goes downhill fast with a strong cross-off shore wind picking up. The swell drops to 1.6ft and the energy plummets to a weak 31. Not worth the drive.
Tuesday the 7th is a bit of a teaser. The morning sees a 3.6ft west swell with a moderate 260 energy reading, but the wind is onshore from the NNE. It's messy. The afternoon isn't much better with a cross shore breeze that's just as average.
Wednesday the 8th morning has the best chance this week. There's a 3.9ft west swell, clean with a cross-offshore wind from the WSW and a moderate 256 energy. It's still a bit marginal, but it's the pick of a poor bunch. The afternoon however, turns into a 5.6ft mess with a 6-second period and a strong cross-offshore wind that'll make it lumpy and a bit of a beast. This is getting into the too-big-for-beginners territory, but the short period means it'll be a washing machine for everyone else.
The rest of the first week is a write-off. There are small, weak swells and onshore winds from Thursday through to Sunday. Many days get a single-star or zero-star rating. We're talking a string of poor conditions with weak energy readings often below 100.
The second week starts with more of the same. Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th have tiny, onshore slop with energy in the 20-180 range. It's not good. Wednesday the 15th through to Friday the 17th sees no improvement, with small, weak swells and onshore winds. The energy levels are all weak and the conditions are constantly described as poor.
Finally, we get to the following Saturday and Sunday, the 18th and 19th of July. Saturday is a total dud: weak, onshore slop. But Sunday the 19th morning brings a jump to a 5.2ft swell from the NW with a moderate 163 energy. The catch? The period is a short 6 seconds, and a fresh cross-shore wind will have it lumpy and cross-chop. This is more of a kitesurfing setup than a clean surf day. Beginners stay away; it's expert-only territory due to the size and chop.
The forecast ends on Tuesday the 21st with a 3.9ft NNE swell and a moderate 195 energy, but it's blown out by a moderate cross-shore wind.
So, the standout? Honestly, Wednesday the 8th morning is the only real session to look at. It's not a classic, but it's the cleanest wave you'll see in the whole outlook. Even then, it's a marginal one. Everything else is a fight against the wind or the lack of swell. There are long gaps of several days here with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. Keep your expectations low and your eyes on the buoy data.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 22°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | N 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
92 | 31 | 331 | 180 | 188 | 239 | 241 | 226 | 276 | 153 | 185 | 148 | 74 | 151 | 364 | 284 | 240 | 130 | 86 | 63 | 28 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 1:39PM4.22m | 1:39AM4.51m | 2:30PM4.17m | 2:32AM4.42m | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | 4:44AM4.32m | 5:39PM4.30m | 5:57AM4.37m | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:22AM1.70m | 7:31PM2.16m | 8:10AM1.79m | 8:23PM2.27m | 9:06AM1.88m | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | 11:26AM1.91m | 00:02AM2.14m | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | |||||||
4:15 | — | — | 4:16 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:20 | — | — | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:21 | — | — | 10:20 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:16 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | |
mm | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 12 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | N 8 | N 10 | W 9 | W 9 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 |
92 | 31 | 90 | 180 | 188 | 39 | 15 | 7 | 276 | 153 | 185 | 148 | 74 | 151 | 364 | 284 | 240 | 130 | 86 | 63 | 28 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | — | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | N 6 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | N 6 |
49 | — | 15 | 80 | 55 | — | — | — | 3 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | — | N 12 | — | W 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | W 8 | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 3 | ENE 3 | ESE 2 |
— | 200 | 331 | — | — | 239 | 241 | 226 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 60 | 170 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 27 | 71 | 94 | 1 | 31 | 9 | 190 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










