Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, N swell with 578 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period with NNW 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s brewing for Thurso Reef. Look, the first week is a bit of a write-off – from Thursday August 27th right through until Wednesday September 2nd, we’re looking at barely a ripple. Swell energy is weak, mostly under 100, and the wind is cross or cross-on. Not worth wetting a wetsuit for.
Things change on Friday September 4th. The morning brings a 7ft groundswell from the west, with a period of 11 seconds and energy hitting 985 – that’s moderate, but it’s got some grunt. The wind is cross-off from the WSW at 19 mph, keeping the surface clean. That’s a long-period swell, so at a reef like Thurso it’ll stack up nicely, though expect longer lulls between sets. Water temp sits at about 57°F, which is pretty average for this time of year. Friday afternoon pushes up to 8ft (energy 1770), still clean. This is a sizeable window – not for beginners, as anything over 5ft is getting big.
Saturday September 5th keeps the goods coming. Morning has 8ft west swell at 11 seconds (energy 1420), with a clean cross-off breeze from the west at 22 mph. Afternoon holds at 7ft. Strong, powerful groundswell, and the reef will handle it well. Crowds are only “sometimes” a problem here, so you’ll have room to move.
Now, Sunday September 6th is a beast. The swell hits 10ft from the west, energy at 1342, and the wind switches to a light cross-off from the southeast at 13 mph, making it glassy. The catch: the data says this is too big for this break. That’s big-wave territory – over 8ft – so only the experts should even think about it. For the rest of us, it’s a day to watch.
Monday September 7th is the sweet spot for most. Morning brings a 7ft west-northwest swell, shorter period of 8 seconds (energy 512), with a light offshore wind from the SSW at 9 mph. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the cleanest call of the run. The shorter period means it’ll be a bit more forgiving and fun, without the heavy grind. Great for intermediate surfers. Afternoon gets messier though.
After that, Tuesday and Wednesday are blown out by strong winds (31 mph) and choppy cross-shore junk. The rest of the run fizzles into small, wind-affected slop.
Best bets: Friday September 4th morning for the first proper groundswell, and Monday September 7th morning for the cleanest, most accessible waves (7ft, offshore wind, clean faces). Sunday September 6th is a monster, but only for the experts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Thu night, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the WNW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNE 4 | NNW 5 | N 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | N 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 67 | 57 | 35 | 11 | 29 | 53 | 84 | 137 | 198 | 210 | 156 | 138 | 125 | 80 | 60 | 57 | 55 | 446 | 97 | 61 | 88 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:16PM4.89m | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | 4:35AM1.10m | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:12 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | ESE 7 | E 8 | NNW 5 | E 8 | E 7 | E 6 | W 9 | W 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 | W 8 | N 7 | N 7 | N 10 |
| kJ | 67 | 57 | 35 | 15 | 43 | 53 | 30 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 138 | 125 | 80 | 60 | 57 | 24 | 12 | 97 | 61 | 88 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | W 8 | W 8 | E 9 | NNW 8 | — | W 10 | E 6 | E 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | — | S 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 99 | 6 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 31 | 26 | — | 1 | 22 | 21 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 6 | — | W 7 | — | — | — | W 9 | W 11 | SE 8 | W 11 | W 11 | E 6 | SE 7 | — | — | ENE 6 | N 10 | NE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 9 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 6 | ENE 3 | NNE 4 | — | N 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 7 | — | SE 3 |
| kJ | 5 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 29 | — | 84 | 137 | 198 | 210 | 156 | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | 446 | 30 | — | 11 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 41 | 170 | 218 | 209 | 180 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1682 | 413 | 206 | 41 | 41 |
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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