Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,142 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Thurso Reef.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on what you'd expect for this time of year down here, so no surprises there.
Right, the bad news first. We're looking at a long, flat spell to kick things off. From now and through most of the coming week, it's a total write-off. We've got fresh, strong winds from the north and northwest hammering the coast, churning up a messy, lumpy sea with tiny, weak swell. The combined energy is barely a whisper, with readings well under 300 (moderate wave energy). Honestly, it's not worth paddling out for. This stretch of poor conditions runs from the 20th right through to the 23rd, with a few cleaner windows but still no real power. The 24th looks like it could be something, but we'll get to that.
Now, the one real standout in this whole 16-day window is Monday the 24th of August, specifically the morning. This is the one to circle. The wind is set to go light and offshore from the southeast, which will clean things right up. We're expecting a solid 7ft groundswell from the west-northwest, with a long period of 11 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a massive 1142 (strong wave energy). This is a setup that will have Thurso Reef doing its thing. The only catch is that 7ft is on the chunky side, so this is one for the experienced surfers.
The rest of the week after that Monday high point is a bit of a letdown. The wind picks up again from the southeast, and while the conditions stay clean, the swell drops right off. Tuesday and Wednesday are small and weak, with combined energy falling back to moderate levels. We get a few more marginal days, but nothing that really gets the heart pumping.
Looking further out, the second week is a bit of a mixed bag. There's a pulse of big swell predicted around the 2nd of September, with combined energy readings over 3000 (very strong wave energy). Swell heights are forecast to be 13ft to 15ft from the northwest. That's a serious amount of water, and honestly, at that size, it's just too big for this reef break. The wind is light, but the sheer size makes it a no-go for all but the most extreme. Thursday the 3rd of September might tidy up a bit, with a 6ft swell from the west and offshore winds in the morning, but the following Friday looks like a blowout again with strong northwesterly winds. So, keep your eyes on the 24th of August morning. That's your best bet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sun night, fresh winds from the SE by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 7 | N 6 | N 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 233 | 228 | 308 | 160 | 117 | 75 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 132 | 231 | 563 | 1142 | 850 | 452 | 312 | 125 | 110 | 104 | 125 | 167 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 8:08AM4.17m | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:59PM2.11m | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:43 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:31 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | NE 7 | W 7 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 |
| kJ | 71 | 46 | 25 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 563 | 1142 | 850 | 452 | 312 | 125 | 110 | 104 | 125 | 167 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | — | W 9 | NE 9 | W 10 | N 6 | — | NW 10 | N 8 | — | NNW 12 | WNW 12 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 7 | E 8 |
| kJ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 15 | 167 | 97 | 93 | 36 | 21 | 5 | 41 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 12 | — | WSW 9 | WNW 9 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | — | 28 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 31 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 6 | N 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | E 3 | E 5 | — |
| kJ | 233 | 228 | 308 | 160 | 117 | 75 | 49 | 27 | 77 | 132 | 231 | — | — | — | 3 | 40 | 31 | 5 | 5 | 8 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 419 | 1361 | 389 | 191 | 255 | 218 | 218 | 218 | 261 | 33 | 294 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 41 | 89 | 1 | 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.
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