Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, WNW swell with 2,954 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 3.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Thurso Reef over the next couple of weeks.
The first few days are a bit of a slow burn. Thursday the 10th of September is a total dud with a weak 2ft west swell and a short 7-second period – the combined energy is only 83, so don’t even think about it. Friday the 11th has a 8ft swell, but the period is short and the wind is a messy 25 km/h cross-off, making it marginal at best.
Saturday the 12th is the big one. The swell jumps to 10ft from the WNW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 2388. The wind is offshore in the morning, a clean 25 km/h from the SSW. This is a serious setup for experienced surfers only. 10ft on a reef is no joke. The morning session is the one to aim for because the wind turns cross-shore in the afternoon and chops it up. This is the standout of the first week – big, clean, powerful.
Sunday the 13th drops to 7ft in the morning, still a solid 11-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. The afternoon is even cleaner with a 6ft swell and only 10 km/h wind. The combined energy is moderate at 1129, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. Good waves, but not the epic of Saturday.
Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a write-off with onshore winds and poor conditions. The swell is there, but the wind ruins it. Wednesday the 16th has a 8ft WNW swell, but onshore winds kill it.
Now, looking ahead to the second week, Sunday the 20th of September is the one to watch. The morning brings a 7ft west swell with a very long 14-second period, offshore winds from the SW at 20 km/h, and a combined energy of 1705 – strong. This is a groundswell, and for a reef, that long period will mean clean, powerful lines. The water temp is about average for the time of year. The afternoon stays clean with a 8ft swell and 13-second period, but the wind picks up a bit. This is the standout of the second week, but it’s a week and a half out, so stay tuned.
Monday the 21st has a 6ft swell and a 12-second period, with light winds in the afternoon that make for “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s a solid option.
The last few days, Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd, are poor with strong winds. Then Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th show a massive 15ft to 18ft swell from the WNW with 14 to 12-second periods. The combined energy is off the charts – 8183 and 7475 – but it’s forecast to be too big for this break. That kind of size and power on a reef is only for the absolute best, and even then, it’s a serious risk.
So, to sum it up: the best bet in the first week is Saturday the 12th for experienced surfers, and the second week’s standout is Sunday the 20th. The 21st afternoon is a nice bonus. Don’t expect much else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Fri night, strong winds from the WNW by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | W 8 | W 11 | W 7 | W 9 | W 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 54 | 92 | 584 | 557 | 874 | 1065 | 2384 | 2641 | 1592 | 908 | 607 | 459 | 343 | 926 | 496 | 673 | 745 | 1208 | 1164 | 586 | 249 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | 12:19PM4.44m | 00:35AM4.38m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | 5:06AM1.09m | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | 6:12AM1.69m | 6:27PM1.89m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | |  | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:30 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:31 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | N 10 | W 11 | WNW 12 | SE 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | N 11 | N 10 | NNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 9 |
| kJ | 54 | 92 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1065 | 2384 | 7 | 1592 | 908 | 607 | 459 | 343 | 926 | 496 | 114 | 52 | 31 | 1164 | 586 | 235 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | — | WNW 15 | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 14 | NNW 14 | NNW 13 | WNW 10 | W 9 | N 12 | NNW 12 | SE 6 | SE 7 | N 10 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 |
| kJ | 26 | 16 | 4 | — | — | 456 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 233 | 522 | 282 | 157 | 289 | 176 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 107 | 288 | 249 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | W 12 | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | W 14 | — | SE 6 | — | — | — | N 9 | SE 6 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 6 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 3 | SE 3 | W 11 | W 7 | W 9 | S 3 | SSW 4 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 | S 4 | — | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | SSE 3 |
| kJ | 7 | 5 | 584 | 557 | 874 | 4 | 42 | 2641 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 13 | — | 673 | 745 | 1208 | — | — | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 170 | 579 | 379 | 1 | 6 | 170 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 27 | 600 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Thurso Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest