What happened
North Shore Surf Club in Thurso says surfers, children among them, have fallen ill after sewage overflows into Thurso Bay, and it has called off some kids' lessons this year. The town's treatment works struggles after heavy rain, and the club wants better monitoring of Far North beaches and a warning beacon at Thurso East.
- Some children's surf lessons in Thurso were cancelled over health worries.
- SEPA advises avoiding the water for a day or two after heavy rain.
- The club wants a pollution warning beacon at Thurso East.
The Swell Otter take
Thurso East is one of the best right-hand reefs in Europe, and the people who surf it most are locals and kids, not just travellers chasing a swell. Being told to stay out for a day or two after heavy rain is a tough rule in Caithness, where wet weather and good surf often arrive together on the same low.
Until there is real-time monitoring, use the rain as your warning. If there has been a downpour in the last 48 hours, think hard before paddling out, keep cuts covered and try not to swallow the water. A beacon at Thurso East is a cheap, sensible ask, and it would do more for surfers' health than any number of 'excellent' annual ratings.
Breaks in this story
How we write the news: we read the original story, sum it up in our own words and add our view. The facts are theirs, so please read the full piece at the source. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@swellotter.com.
Tom Otto
Tom Otto built Swell Otter, the free surf forecast for the UK, and writes its spot guides. Every guide is checked against years of wave, wind and sea temperature history for the break, so the advice matches the numbers and not just the postcards.
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