Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, NNW swell with 1,186 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with WNW 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 (Jul 29) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) 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 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 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 coming our way for Thurso Reef.
First up, we’ve got a bit of a dry spell. The run starts on Wednesday the 29th of July, but honestly, the waves are messy with cross-off winds and only marginal surf. The real action doesn’t kick off until much later, so we’re looking at a solid week of waiting before things get interesting. There’s a long gap of poor conditions and weak energy until we finally see something worth paddling out for.
The standout window opens up on Monday the 10th of August. We’ve got a clean 5 ft to 6 ft swell from the WNW, with a gentle breeze keeping things tidy. The combined energy pushes into the moderate range (323 to 463), and the offshore flow is just right. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and surfable.
But the real gem – the one you’ve been waiting for – is Tuesday the 11th of August. That morning, we’re looking at a solid 8 ft swell from the NW, with a light SSW offshore breeze keeping the reef clean. The combined energy jumps to 834, which is strong, and it’s a nice, powerful groundswell with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a proper reef wave. By the afternoon, the wind drops to glassy – zero wind – and the swell is still a punchy 8 ft from the NW. This is the best of the forecast. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
A word of caution: that 8 ft swell is well into expert territory. If you’re not comfortable in solid reef waves, give this one a miss. The long period (8 seconds) is decent, but it’s not a super-long-period groundswell, so it should still wrap nicely into the reef. Crowds are possible at this spot, so get there early for the peak.
After that, the swell drops off quickly. Wednesday the 12th of August is back to small, ordinary surf with glassy conditions, but nothing to get excited about. Thursday the 13th of August shows a clean 6 ft from the W with a light breeze, but it’s not the same quality as the Tuesday.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got a window, make it Tuesday the 11th of August. That’s the one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue night, min 10°C on Thu afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the WNW by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun morning, light winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 10 | N 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 685 | 334 | 143 | 102 | 200 | 205 | 161 | 30 | 84 | 39 | 66 | 100 | 445 | 244 | 943 | 951 | 610 | 295 | 232 | 235 | 186 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:43 | — | — | 9:40 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:36 | — | — | 9:34 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:29 |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | SE 5 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 6 | NW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 10 | NNW 8 | NNW 10 | N 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | 74 | 55 | 143 | 102 | 1 | 40 | 18 | 30 | 84 | 39 | 64 | 65 | 19 | 244 | 943 | 951 | 610 | 295 | 14 | 14 | 186 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 11 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | N 7 | W 7 | N 10 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | W 10 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | N 11 | — | W 9 |
| kJ | — | 19 | 80 | 28 | — | — | — | 25 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | — | — | 2 | 48 | 13 | 12 | 2 | — | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 11 | N 8 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | W 7 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | N 12 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | WNW 7 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | NW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 5 | WSW 3 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | — | — | WNW 6 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | — |
| kJ | 685 | 334 | — | — | 200 | 205 | 161 | 43 | 1 | 121 | 66 | 100 | 445 | 186 | 48 | — | — | 15 | 232 | 235 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 141 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 418 | 1 | 523 | 1 | 832 | 962 | 423 | 214 | 315 | 53 | 73 | 73 | 31 | 94 | 94 | 53 |
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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