Reef

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Level 7/10

Marwick Bay

Orkney Islands, UK

🪨Rocks🪸Sharp reef🌀Strong rips🏝️Remote

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Marwick Bay is one of Orkney's most exposed surf spots--a right-hand reef on the west coast wide open to the North Atlantic.

Marwick Bay surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today23

Poor

3.3mW@13s

19km/h

3.3m@13s

19km/h

Thu24

Poor

2.0mWNW@11s

29km/h

2.0m@11s

29km/h

Fri25

Poor

4.8mW@16s

27km/h

4.8m@16s

27km/h

Sat26

Poor

3.3mW@12s

25km/h

3.3m@12s

25km/h

Sun27

Poor

2.4mW@9s

22km/h

2.4m@9s

22km/h

Mon28

Poor

2.1mW@8s

16km/h

2.1m@8s

16km/h

Tue29

Poor

1.6mW@8s

21km/h

1.6m@8s

21km/h

Wed30

Poor

0.4mNW@8s

26km/h

0.4m@8s

26km/h

Thu1

Poor

1.1mWSW@10s

29km/h

1.1m@10s

29km/h

Fri2

Poor

0.0mN@11s

18km/h

0.0m@11s

18km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 14 km/h · PM 21 km/h · Tide at 7am (2.4m)

Swell

3.3m

W(279°)

Score: 4/25

Period

13s

Medium period swell

Score: 24/25

Wind

19km/h

WNW(286°)

Score: 0/25

Weather

12°C

0.0mm57%

First light 6:29amSunrise 6:59amSunset 7:10pmLast light 7:40pm

Windswell0.6m@3sSecondary0.2mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:29–10:53am · through highStrike window: 2:48–5:50pm · 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

11°

12°

13°

12°

8°

11°

13°

14°

13°

12°

14°

15°

13°

10°

11°

13°

15°

13°

12°

13°

12°

11°

9°

10°

13°

11°

8°

10°

13°

12°

13°

14°

15°

13°

14°

16°

14°

12°

13°

14°

12°

5m2.5

sec

14s

12s

11s

16s

15s

12s

10s

11s

10s

11s

swell

windkm/h

14g21

14g22

22g36

22g35

21g33

15g22

22g34

34g53

31g49

31g51

29g48

30g50

26g44

18g29

21g34

21g35

28g49

29g49

27g44

24g40

22g36

21g34

23g38

19g31

15g24

16g27

17g31

16g28

14g22

10g26

14g28

21g38

28g48

35g57

16g56

20g50

26g49

32g52

34g56

29g53

30g53

32g54

29g55

23g55

25g45

23g44

20g41

14g39

7g36

tidem

12:49am0.6m

7:00am2.4m

12:53pm0.8m

7:00pm2.7m

1:26am0.3m

7:38am2.5m

1:25pm0.7m

7:41pm3.2m

1:56am0.5m

8:05am3.1m

2:02pm0.7m

8:06pm3.3m

2:24am0.2m

8:38am3.1m

2:31pm0.5m

8:41pm3.6m

2:55am0.2m

9:06am3.4m

3:05pm0.4m

9:11pm3.6m

3:27am0.1m

9:39am3.4m

3:40pm0.3m

9:45pm3.5m

4:00am0.0m

10:17am3.4m

4:11pm0.5m

10:21pm3.7m

4:41am0.4m

10:39am3.3m

4:56pm0.2m

5:16am0.4m

11:30am3.1m

5:37pm0.6m

Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

12:49 am

Low tide - 0.61m

7:00 am

High tide - 2.35m

12:53 pm

Low tide - 0.79m

7:00 pm

High tide - 2.69m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction12/25

Swell Size4/25

Swell Period24/25

Wind0/25

Raw Score40/100

Adjustments

🤢 Wind History-9

💨 Gusty Wind-4

⚠️ Weak Component-10

Adjusted Score17/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score17

🤢 Morning Sickness

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to KOI, 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: WNW (300°)
Direction range: 260° - 340°
Size range: 1m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 1.00×
Ideal period: 13s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: E (100°)
Offshore range: 70° - 140°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

9°C

Wetsuit

6/5mm + boots, gloves, hood

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

1/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Marwick Bay?

The Marwick 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 Marwick Bay?

The Marwick Bay profile uses wind from E (100°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 70° to 140°. 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 Marwick Bay?

The Marwick Bay scoring profile favors swell from WNW (260° to 340°), a swell-height range of 1m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 13s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.