Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, W swell with 2,787 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you—this 16-day run for Thurso Reef is a tough one. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, but the surf is going to test your patience. There’s a big gap of nothing until Wednesday morning, 2nd September, when the first marginal opportunity shows up, but even then it’s not pretty. The real standout window is Friday morning, 4th September, with a solid 10ft WNW swell pushing in, but that’s expert-only territory. Let’s walk through it.
From now through to Tuesday afternoon, 1st September, it’s basically flat or junk. Sunday the 30th has a weak 3ft N swell with 7-second period and cross-shore wind—total washout. Monday the 31st offers a tiny 1ft W swell in the morning, clean but barely a ripple. Tuesday morning, 1st September, sees a 1ft W swell with offshore SSW wind at 22 mph, clean but tiny. Tuesday afternoon though, the swell jumps to 7ft WNW with a short 8-second period and cross-off wind—moderate wave energy (495) but still a messy, poor surf call.
Wednesday, 2nd September, is marginal at best. Morning has 5ft NNW swell with light cross-on wind, weak energy (486), and a 1/10 rating. Afternoon cleans up a bit with 5ft N swell and 10-second period, but still poor.
Thursday, 3rd September, gets messy. Morning has 7ft W swell with 7-second period and clean cross-off wind, but the energy is moderate (567) and the surf is poor. Afternoon pushes 8ft W swell with 11-second period and strong energy (1374), but it’s still marginal (2/10).
Now for the standout: Friday morning, 4th September. Thurso Reef sees a 10ft WNW swell, 12-second period, and a clean cross-off WSW wind at 25 mph. The wave energy is massive (2512), and the swell direction matches the optimum NW. But fair warning—this is too big for beginners and only for experienced surfers. The reef setup is exposed and fairly consistent, but crowds can happen. The wind is clean, so the waves will be well-shaped, but that size will be intimidating. Saturday the 5th drops off fast with messy cross-shore wind and dropping swell.
The following week is a write-off. Sunday, 6th September, through to Monday, 14th September, is mostly small, weak, or onshore junk. Tuesday, 8th September, has a 8ft NW swell but onshore wind and short period—poor. The only other flicker is Saturday morning, 12th September, with a 12ft WNW swell, 9-second period, and offshore SSW wind at 12 mph. Again, expert-only, huge energy (1872), and clean. But it’s a long way out, so take it with a grain of salt. Monday, 14th September, has a 7ft NNW swell with light offshore wind, clean, but only moderate energy (479) and a 2/10 rating.
In short: if you’re an expert, Friday morning, 4th September, is your best bet—big, clean, and powerful. The 12th is promising but far off. For everyone else, it’s slim pickings. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Mon morning, strong winds from the W by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Wed morning, strong winds from the W by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | N 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 | W 9 | WNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 9 | N 10 | N 10 | W 7 | W 11 | W 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 72 | 43 | 21 | 15 | 55 | 135 | 26 | 481 | 215 | 413 | 414 | 279 | 419 | 1278 | 2168 | 2512 | 1430 | 617 | 577 | 539 | 172 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | W 6 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 9 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | W 13 | SSE 6 | N 8 | W 12 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 6 |
| kJ | 72 | 43 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 135 | 17 | 13 | 215 | 413 | 414 | 279 | 148 | 80 | 2168 | 3 | 5 | 617 | 19 | 18 | 68 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | N 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SE 6 | ESE 5 | NNW 9 | N 9 | — | — | N 5 | — | — | NE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 26 | 1 | 107 | 49 | 32 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 36 | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | N 12 | W 8 | E 4 | — | N 7 | N 8 | — | N 13 | NNW 11 | N 11 | — | — | ESE 5 | — | — | — | N 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 19 | — | 3 | 24 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 3 | E 3 | — | W 9 | — | SW 4 | WNW 8 | NNW 7 | — | SE 4 | SW 8 | W 7 | W 11 | S 4 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | — | W 11 | W 10 | W 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | 5 | — | 55 | — | 35 | 481 | 61 | — | 12 | 84 | 419 | 1278 | 14 | 2512 | 1430 | — | 577 | 539 | 172 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 41 | 24 | 24 | 596 | 0 | 596 | 423 | 94 | 1 | 94 | 0 | 413 | 417 | 0 | 785 | 617 | 674 | 757 | 835 | 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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