
Surf Forecasts:
Thurso Reef surf forecast from 6 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, W swell with 424 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Thurso Reef in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Thurso Reef.
Right off the bat, Monday morning, we’ve got a bit of life in the water, but it’s nothing to write home about. Wave energy is weak at 141 (combined energy), with a 3ft swell from the west, period around 8 seconds. It’s glassy though, so it’s clean, but the surf is just ordinary. The water temp is 54°, pretty much bang on average for this time of year. Not a standout, but you could get a limp one if you’re desperate.
Monday afternoon gets messy – wind jumps to 35 km/h from the west, cross-off but strong, and the surf quality drops right off. Skip it.
Now, Tuesday the 7th is where we get going. Tuesday morning is the first real highlight. Swell bumps up to 4ft from the west, period stretching to 9 seconds, and the wind is glassy from the NNE at only 5 km/h. Combined energy hits 260 (moderate), and conditions are clean. That’s a solid session on the cards. Tuesday afternoon holds similar quality, just a touch smaller at 3ft, still glassy with west wind. This is your best bet in the near term.
Wednesday the 8th drops back a notch. Morning is surfable but ordinary – 3ft, cross-off wind, nothing special. Wednesday afternoon gets smaller and windier, not worth it.
Thursday the 9th morning brings a return to form. Swell 4ft from the west, period 9 seconds, and offshore wind from the SW at 10 km/h. Combined energy 249 (moderate), clean waves. That’s another good window. Thursday afternoon turns cross-onshore, so the quality fades.
Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are plagued by cross-onshore winds and messy conditions. The swell sticks around 3ft to 4ft, but the wind kills it. Not recommended.
Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th are tiny and weak – energy drops below 100. A real lull.
Then things get interesting again. Tuesday the 14th morning serves up a sneaky good one. Swell 3ft from the WNW, but the period jumps to 12 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. Combined energy at 307 (moderate) and cross-off wind from the SE at 15 km/h. Clean conditions. That long period will wrap nicely into the reef, giving shape. Keep an eye on this one.
After that, from Wednesday the 15th through to Sunday the 20th, it’s mostly tiny or blown out. Monday the 20th afternoon gets a big spike – a 8ft west swell, 10-second period, but wind is howling at 40 km/h from the WNW, cross-shore and lumpy. The combined energy hits 1099 (strong), but it’s messy as hell. That’s rough.
Tuesday the 21st morning sees 8ft from the west at 11 seconds, 30 km/h cross-shore wind. Energy is 1599 (very strong). That’s solid wave height, but the wind is making it lumpy and hard. For experts only if you’re brave, but honestly the wind is a dealbreaker for clean surfing.
So, to wrap it up: the real standouts are Tuesday the 7th and Thursday the 9th mornings, with Tuesday the 14th as a promising long-range option if the wind holds. The rest of the two weeks is mostly small, weak, or wind-affected. There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 15th to the 19th, so pick your days.
Stay safe, keep your eyes on the horizon.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Mon afternoon, calm by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
171 | 195 | 152 | 129 | 205 | 83 | 109 | 179 | 192 | 313 | 184 | 125 | 396 | 332 | 319 | 221 | 129 | 87 | 62 | 85 | 67 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:39AM4.51m | 2:30PM4.17m | 2:32AM4.42m | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | 4:44AM4.32m | 5:39PM4.30m | 5:57AM4.37m | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:31PM2.16m | 8:10AM1.79m | 8:23PM2.27m | 9:06AM1.88m | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | 11:26AM1.91m | 00:02AM2.14m | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | ||||||||
— | — | 4:16 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:20 | — | — | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | |
— | 10:21 | — | — | 10:20 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:16 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | 10:12 | |
mm | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | N 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
31 | 195 | 152 | 129 | 36 | 83 | 109 | 179 | 192 | 313 | 184 | 76 | 396 | 332 | 319 | 221 | 129 | 87 | 62 | 85 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 10 | N 8 | N 7 | — | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | — | — | — | W 21 |
— | 117 | 80 | 54 | — | 15 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | W 9 | W 5 | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
171 | — | — | — | 205 | 43 | 45 | — | — | — | — | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 51 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 600 | 71 | 1 | 28 |
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.











