Dunnet Bay is the friendly face of Caithness surfing--a broad sandy beach that offers a gentler introduction to the region.
Return flights to WIC, departing today with a 5-day trip window.
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Water temp
9°C
Wetsuit
6/5mm + boots, gloves, hood
Difficulty
4/10
Crowd level
2/10
Dunnet Bay works best on a mid tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.
Offshore wind at Dunnet Bay blows from the S (180°). Anything in the 100° to 200° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.
Dunnet Bay wants NNW swell (280° to 20°) between 0.9m and 2.5m, with a period of 12s or more for quality waves.
The main season at Dunnet Bay is Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. A secondary window runs May, Aug.
Fly into WIC, then allow about 20 minutes by road.
Dunnet Bay is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 4/10.
Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Secondary: May, Aug
Caithness left slab - Backdoor barrels - Expert territory
Scotland's world-class right - Cold water perfection - North Atlantic power
Remote Scottish slab - Almost un-surfed - Maximum consequence
European big wave slab - Storm-only activation - Career-ending consequence
Heavy Scottish slab - Remote Caithness coast - Freezing barrels
Caithness left reef - Cliff access - Remote and empty