Reef

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Level 8/10

Skara Brae

Orkney Islands, UK

🪸Sharp reef🪨Rocks🏝️Remote🌀Strong rips🚶Difficult access

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Skara Brae sits on Orkney's raw, exposed west coast near one of Europe's most important Neolithic sites. This left-hand reef catches virtually everything the North Atlantic throws at it.

Skara Brae surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today23

Poor

3.3mW@13s

20km/h

3.3m@13s

20km/h

Thu24

Poor

2.0mWNW@11s

27km/h

2.0m@11s

27km/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 22 km/h · Tide at 7am (2.4m)

Swell

3.3m

W(279°)

Score: 10/25

Period

13s

Medium period swell

Score: 21/25

Wind

20km/h

WNW(286°)

Score: 0/25

Weather

12°C

0.0mm58%

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°

9°

11°

13°

14°

13°

12°

14°

15°

13°

10°

11°

13°

15°

13°

12°

13°

12°

11°

9°

11°

14°

13°

11°

8°

10°

13°

12°

13°

14°

15°

16°

15°

13°

14°

17°

16°

15°

12°

13°

14°

12°

5m2.5

sec

14s

12s

11s

16s

15s

12s

10s

11s

10s

11s

swell

windkm/h

14g22

14g21

23g36

22g35

21g33

14g21

21g32

31g49

32g50

29g46

30g48

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 Size10/25

Swell Period21/25

Wind0/25

Raw Score43/100

Adjustments

🤢 Wind History-8

💨 Gusty Wind-4

⚠️ Weak Component-10

Adjusted Score21/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score21

🤢 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: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 1.00×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: ESE (110°)
Offshore range: 70° - 150°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid

Water temp

9°C

Wetsuit

6/5mm + boots, gloves, hood

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

1/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Skara Brae?

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

What wind direction is offshore at Skara Brae?

The Skara Brae profile uses wind from ESE (110°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 70° to 150°. 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 Skara Brae?

The Skara Brae scoring profile favors swell from WNW (260° to 340°), a swell-height range of 1.2m to 3m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.