Beach

both

Level 4/10

Dunnet Bay

Caithness, UK

🌀Strong rips🪨Rocks

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Dunnet Bay is the friendly face of Caithness surfing--a broad sandy beach that offers a gentler introduction to the region.

Dunnet Bay surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today23

Poor

2.6mWNW@12s

16km/h

2.6m@12s

16km/h

Thu24

Good

1.7mWNW@11s

24km/h

1.7m@11s

24km/h

Fri25

Fair

4.2mWNW@16s

22km/h

4.2m@16s

22km/h

Sat26

Poor

2.7mW@3s

24km/h

2.7m@3s

24km/h

Sun27

Good

1.8mW@11s

17km/h

1.8m@11s

17km/h

Mon28

Good

1.6mW@14s

14km/h

1.6m@14s

14km/h

Tue29

Fair

1.3mW@12s

22km/h

1.3m@12s

22km/h

Wed30

Poor

0.8mWNW@10s

23km/h

0.8m@10s

23km/h

Thu1

Poor

0.7mWSW@10s

25km/h

0.7m@10s

25km/h

Fri2

Good

0.9mWNW@11s

14km/h

0.9m@11s

14km/h

Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 10 km/h · PM 19 km/h · Tide at 7am (2.7m)

Swell

2.6m

WNW(282°)

Score: 13/25

Period

12s

Medium period swell

Score: 25/25

Wind

16km/h

WNW(284°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

12°C

0.0mm71%

First light 6:30amSunrise 7:00amSunset 7:10pmLast light 7:40pm

Windswell0.7m@3sSecondary0.1mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:30–11:26am · through highStrike window: 3:01–6:06pm · risingIdeal tide: mid

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

10°

11°

13°

12°

8°

10°

13°

14°

10°

12°

14°

12°

8°

10°

13°

15°

14°

12°

13°

14°

11°

7°

10°

13°

10°

7°

9°

13°

14°

12°

13°

15°

16°

14°

13°

14°

17°

16°

14°

11°

13°

15°

12°

5m2.5

sec

14s

12s

11s

18s

16s

15s

12s

11s

14s

12s

10s

11s

swell

windkm/h

9g17

11g19

19g34

22g38

16g28

13g23

19g34

26g46

30g53

20g34

22g36

24g41

22g37

19g30

17g26

20g32

26g44

30g51

27g45

20g32

18g30

20g34

16g27

11g17

13g19

14g23

17g30

16g26

10g16

9g20

13g26

22g37

30g48

37g58

17g46

19g40

26g43

28g48

26g54

22g50

23g50

29g52

28g52

21g53

24g40

20g40

14g37

8g35

7g31

tidem

1:04am0.7m

7:27am2.7m

1:09pm0.9m

7:21pm3.0m

1:40am0.4m

8:00am2.9m

1:43pm0.8m

8:02pm3.6m

2:11am0.6m

8:25am3.5m

2:20pm0.8m

8:26pm3.7m

2:42am0.2m

8:57am3.5m

2:48pm0.5m

9:01pm4.0m

3:11am0.3m

9:27am3.9m

3:25pm0.5m

9:31pm4.0m

3:45am0.1m

10:00am3.8m

3:58pm0.3m

10:04pm3.9m

4:18am0.0m

10:39am3.8m

4:31pm0.6m

5:00am0.5m

11:00am3.7m

5:16pm0.2m

5:38am0.4m

11:50am3.4m

5:56pm0.7m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

1:04 am

Low tide - 0.72m

7:27 am

High tide - 2.68m

1:09 pm

Low tide - 0.94m

7:21 pm

High tide - 3.03m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction6/25

Swell Size13/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score45/100

Adjustments

Wind History-3

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-5

Adjusted Score32/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score32

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to WIC, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NNW (330°)
Direction range: 280° - 20°
Size range: 0.9m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.6m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 1.00×
Ideal period: 12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: S (180°)
Offshore range: 100° - 200°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

9°C

Wetsuit

6/5mm + boots, gloves, hood

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

2/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Dunnet Bay?

The Dunnet Bay profile favors mid tide. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Dunnet Bay?

The Dunnet Bay profile uses wind from S (180°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 100° to 200°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Dunnet Bay?

The Dunnet Bay scoring profile favors swell from NNW (280° to 20°), a swell-height range of 0.9m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 12s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.