Sea · Scotland · United Kingdom
Thurso Bay
Best for kiting from June to October, with 53 to 75 % kite days. Water 12 to 14 °C. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): November to May.
A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots (gusts up to 45) between 10:00 and 19:00, in daylight. Percentages are the share of such days in each month, counted over 9 years.
- Prime 60 % and more
- Good 40 to 59 %
- Possible 20 to 39 %
- Off under 20 %
- No data hatched
- Ringed: this month
Prime also needs a good month in at least 7 of the 9 years, so one freak year cannot make a month Prime. A month with 60 %+ but fewer good years shows as Good.
Confidence highHourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 75 % Primeabout 23 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 23 %
- Kiteable 75 %
- Too strong 2 %
- Good years
- 9 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
- 10 day trip
- 9 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 7.3 expected (capped at 9 in 10)
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 10.3 h
- Water
- 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves
- Air
- 12 °Cdaily maximum, 11 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 21 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Thurso Bay averaged 23 kite days out of 31 (75 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 72 | 75 | 68 | 64 | 58 | 57 | 53 | 53 | 65 | 75 | 72 | 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | cold | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | cold | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 7 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 15 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 17 | 11 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 11 to 19 | 13 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 19 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 15 | 10 to 14 |
| Daylighth | 7.1 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 14.4 | 16.8 | 18.3 | 17.6 | 15.4 | 12.9 | 10.3 | 7.9 | 6.4 |
| Water°C at the surface | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 21 of 31 | 17 of 28 | 19 of 31 | 12 of 30 | 13 of 31 | 14 of 30 | 17 of 31 | 16 of 31 | 18 of 30 | 21 of 31 | 21 of 30 | 21 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 5/4 | 4/3 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, Thurso Bay averaged 22 kite days out of 31 (72 %). Water 9 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Thurso Bay averaged 21 kite days out of 28 (75 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, Thurso Bay averaged 21 kite days out of 31 (68 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Thurso Bay averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (64 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Thurso Bay averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (58 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Thurso Bay averaged 17 kite days out of 30 (57 %). Water 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Thurso Bay averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (53 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Thurso Bay averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (53 %). Water 14 °C, 4/3. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Thurso Bay averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (65 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Thurso Bay averaged 23 kite days out of 31 (75 %). Water 13 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Thurso Bay averaged 22 kite days out of 30 (72 %). Water 11 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Thurso Bay averaged 20 kite days out of 31 (65 %). Water 10 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in December got at least 5 kite days.
Good year: at least half the days of that month were kite days. x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise. Best hours: the hours from 10:00 on when the wind most often reaches 12 to 35 knots. Rain day: 1 mm or more of rain.
Source: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly model wind, 2017 to 2025; water temperature 2023 to 2025. How we count kite days and trip odds
Trip odds at Thurso Bay
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.4 expected
- February9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.2 expected
- March9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.9 expected
- April8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.3 expected
- May7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
- June8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- July6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.0 expected
- August7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- September9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.9 expected
- October (now)9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.3 expected
- November9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.2 expected
- December9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.5 expected
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Trip odds by start week
Pick your start week and trip length. Each cell: of all trips of that length that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, how many in 10 got at least half their days with kite wind.
Trip odds by start week, 10 day trips, 2017 to 2025
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 8
- 7
- 7
- 7
- 6
- 8
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 6
- 8
- 7
- 7
- 9
- 8
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 9
Colours as in the kite year: 6 in 10 and more like Prime · 4 to 5 in 10 like Good · 2 to 3 in 10 like Possible · under 2 in 10 like Off · No data hatched (fewer than 30 trips) · Ringed: this week · Raised: your start week
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Source: hourly wind from the ECMWF IFS model via Open-Meteo, 2017 to 2025, kiteCOMPASS method v1. How we count
9 in 10
trips of 10 days starting in week 45 (e.g. 5 to 11 November) got at least 5 kite days in 2017 to 2025 (63 trips, capped at 9 in 10).
Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20
about 6.7 kite days expected out of 10
Kite days per trip, 63 trips
Bars right of the line are good trips (5 kite days or more).
How the wind behaves
In February, the windiest month
- Too light 23 %
- Kiteable 75 %
- Too strong 2 %
Too light on 23 %, kiteable on 75 %, too strong on 2 % of days.
Best hours: 10:00 to 16:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind mostly from WSW (248°), fairly steady direction.
Kitesurfing at Thurso Bay: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Thurso Bay?
The best months are June to October: from 2017 to 2025, 53 to 75 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Thurso Bay windy in October?
Yes, very. 75 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 23 days in a typical October. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Thurso Bay?
The water ranges from 8 °C in February to 14 °C in July. In October it is about 13 °C (wetsuit: 6/5 with boots and gloves).
How many kite days does Thurso Bay get in a year?
About 236 days a year were kite days from 2017 to 2025, out of 365. A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn.
Live forecast
The numbers above are long term averages. The forecast shows the next days.
Live forecast from Windy
The forecast map for Thurso Bay comes from windy.com (Windyty SE, Prague, Czech Republic) and opens right here on this page. Once you load it, your browser contacts Windy, which receives your IP address and may set its own cookies. Nothing is loaded before you click.
Spot facts
- Region
- Scotland
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- Wick John O'Groats Airport (WIC), 29 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 58.5977, -3.5212
- Model
- ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Conditions, checked against kite guides
Water state, flat areas, waves and whether schools teach here, from kite sources, not from satellite images.
Not yet checked against kite guides. We research spot conditions one by one and show only what a kite source says.
Nearby kite spots in Scotland
Kite days in October, % of days
- Dunnet Bay
United Kingdom · 3 points fewer kite days than Thurso Bay in October
72 %Kite days by month at Dunnet Bay: Jan 68 %, Feb 71 %, Mar 66 %, Apr 61 %, May 51 %, Jun 50 %, Jul 50 %, Aug 48 %, Sep 61 %, Oct 72 %, Nov 67 %, Dec 55 % - Sinclair's Bay
United Kingdom · 1 point more kite days than Thurso Bay in October
76 %Kite days by month at Sinclair's Bay: Jan 66 %, Feb 76 %, Mar 69 %, Apr 63 %, May 50 %, Jun 53 %, Jul 51 %, Aug 52 %, Sep 64 %, Oct 76 %, Nov 71 %, Dec 65 % - Freswick Bay
United Kingdom · 3 points more kite days than Thurso Bay in October
78 %Kite days by month at Freswick Bay: Jan 72 %, Feb 79 %, Mar 71 %, Apr 68 %, May 54 %, Jun 56 %, Jul 55 %, Aug 56 %, Sep 69 %, Oct 78 %, Nov 73 %, Dec 69 % - Burghead Bay
United Kingdom · 17 points fewer kite days than Thurso Bay in October
58 %Kite days by month at Burghead Bay: Jan 63 %, Feb 60 %, Mar 53 %, Apr 50 %, May 45 %, Jun 42 %, Jul 41 %, Aug 38 %, Sep 48 %, Oct 58 %, Nov 50 %, Dec 49 % - Ardersier Bay
United Kingdom · 30 points fewer kite days than Thurso Bay in October
45 %Kite days by month at Ardersier Bay: Jan 39 %, Feb 50 %, Mar 42 %, Apr 34 %, May 32 %, Jun 37 %, Jul 27 %, Aug 32 %, Sep 36 %, Oct 45 %, Nov 33 %, Dec 28 % - Banff
United Kingdom · 24 points fewer kite days than Thurso Bay in October
51 %Kite days by month at Banff: Jan 48 %, Feb 60 %, Mar 51 %, Apr 46 %, May 37 %, Jun 36 %, Jul 30 %, Aug 36 %, Sep 50 %, Oct 51 %, Nov 47 %, Dec 40 % - St Combs
United Kingdom · 14 points fewer kite days than Thurso Bay in October
61 %Kite days by month at St Combs: Jan 51 %, Feb 65 %, Mar 61 %, Apr 56 %, May 48 %, Jun 46 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 43 %, Sep 62 %, Oct 61 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 49 % - Eoropaidh
United Kingdom · 5 points more kite days than Thurso Bay in October
80 %Kite days by month at Eoropaidh: Jan 77 %, Feb 83 %, Mar 77 %, Apr 69 %, May 61 %, Jun 65 %, Jul 59 %, Aug 64 %, Sep 75 %, Oct 80 %, Nov 76 %, Dec 75 %
Plan your trip
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kiteCOMPASS · method k3h-10to19-v1 · 2017 to 2025
Model wind: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025. Water temperature: 2023 to 2025. Kite day: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 75 % of days at Thurso Bay met the kiteCOMPASS kite day rule: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn (ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025). https://kitecompass.app/spot/thurso-bay
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.