Thurso Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.60° N 3.52° W

Thurso Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Thurso Reef sea temperature is
13.3° C
0.0° 

Thurso Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Thurso Reef surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, W swell with 977 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with N 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 (Aug 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Thu 6th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 7s
Best Surf 7PM (Fri 7th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 9s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sat 8th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Thurso Reef over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us.

The start of this stretch is looking pretty grim, to be honest. We’ve got a few days of cross-shore winds and messy, weak surf that just won’t give us anything to work with. You’re gonna want to find something else to do from Tuesday through Thursday, because it’s a total write-off.

Friday, August 7th finally sees the wind swing offshore, but the swell is weak and disorganized. There’s a bit of life in the water, but it’s going to be small, jumbled, and pretty average. We’re only pulling about 2ft of swell with a short 5-second period, so the energy is just not there (64). It’s surfable, but you won’t be bragging about it.

Things start to get interesting on Saturday morning, August 8th. The wind stays offshore out of the SSW, cleaning things right up. The swell builds a touch to 6ft from the W at 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to a moderate 490. This is the first real sign of life, a proper window of decent, clean surf at Thurso Reef. This is a good one to make the most of.

The swell peaks on Saturday afternoon, hitting 8ft from the W, but the wind picks up and goes cross-offshore. There’s a ton of energy in the water (995), but it’s going to be a challenging, powerful, and likely messy peak. This is pushing beyond the fun size, and even though it’s strong, it might be a tough one to manage.

Sunday (August 9th) keeps the cross-offshore wind and plenty of energy (724), but the swell drops back down to a still-solid 7ft on the morning. It’s cleaner, but the wind is fresh and it’s going to be a handful.

After that run, the surf drops off again. Monday (August 10th) sees a return of cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, and we’re back to waiting.

Now, here’s the standout window. Tuesday morning, August 11th. The wind dies right off to a glassy, slight air out of the S. The swell has come down to 4ft from the N with a 9-second period, and while the energy is moderate (310), that clean, glassy surface is going to make every one of those waves count. This is your morning to get on it. It’s not the biggest, but with that kind of calm, the reef is going to be firing clean walls.

From Tuesday afternoon onward, it’s a slow slide back into small, weak, and mostly messy surf. The rest of that week and into the next is pretty uneventful. There’s a brief look at Saturday, August 15th afternoon – the swell jumps to 7ft and the energy is strong (1006), but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-offshore breeze. It could have its moments, but it’s a long way out and not something I’d count on. Then there’s a similar story on Sunday the 16th, but the swell is back down to 6ft and the wind is still fresh. These look wild and unruly, more promising than perfect.

The long-range stuff (the week of August 17th) is a real roll of the dice. There are signs of more manageable swells, and the mornings on Tuesday, August 19th look glassy with some 5-5ft swell, but we’re well over a week out, and those calls are less reliable. It’s promising, but I wouldn’t be planning any trips around it yet.

So, the two standouts are clear: Saturday morning, August 8th, for the first proper push of clean, offshore swell, and Tuesday morning, August 11th, for that perfect glassy window on a fun-sized swell. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too wild to get excited about.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the E on Tue afternoon, light winds from the ENE by Tue night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly fresh winds.

Tue
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
3
2
1
3
0
1
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
E
6
0.5
N
8
0.9
N
7
1.6
N
7
2
N
7
1.5
NNW
7
0.8
N
7
0.5
N
7
0.4
W
9
1.8
W
8
2
W
10
1.7
W
9
2.5
W
9
2
W
9
2.1
W
9
1.8
WNW
9
1.3
NNW
9
1.5
NNW
9
1.5
NNW
9
1.5
N
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
136
28
87
285
411
189
55
21
28
417
708
471
977
595
668
564
244
359
351
397
Wind (km/h)
40
E
25
E
15
NE
30
NNE
35
NNW
30
NW
25
WNW
15
SSW
20
SSW
30
SW
25
SSW
20
SSW
35
WSW
20
S
35
WSW
35
W
35
WNW
25
NW
30
NW
15
W
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
1:04AM4.67m
1:46PM4.29m
1:55AM4.48m
2:44PM4.17m
3:01AM4.28m
3:55PM4.11m
4:23AM4.15m
5:15PM4.16m
5:55AM4.19m
6:32PM4.36m
7:16AM4.39m
7:36PM4.63m
Low Tide
6:59PM1.93m
7:34AM1.68m
7:47PM2.10m
8:27AM1.89m
8:50PM2.27m
9:36AM2.09m
10:15PM2.33m
11:01AM2.17m
11:47PM2.18m
12:22PM2.08m
1:01AM1.85m
1:26PM1.88m
1:59AM1.47m
light rain
light rain
cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:11
5:13
5:15
5:16
5:18
5:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:29
9:27
9:24
9:22
9:20
9:16
9:15
 mm
4
5
1
3
2
5
3
2
1
2
Temp °C
12
14
14
13
12
12
13
12
15
15
14
15
16
14
14
14
11
11
11
11
Feels °C
5
13
13
8
5
6
8
10
9
10
9
9
9
10
7
7
4
5
4
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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