The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.3° C
0.1° 

The Cove surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Cove surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, W swell with 3,406 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove this week:

The surf forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Wed 12th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 11s
Best Surf 7AM (Tue 18th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 7s
Most Powerful 4PM (Tue 18th Aug)15ft (4.5m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s on offer.

First up, we’ve got The Cove, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the NW. The water temperature is sitting at 56°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The pattern starts off pretty weak. Wednesday morning the 12th has tiny 1ft swell from the west, with a period around 11 seconds. The combined energy is only 67, so it’s really weak. Wind is light offshore from the SSE, so it’s clean, but there’s just not enough push to get excited. The rest of Wednesday and Thursday are pretty ordinary, with a slight bump to 2ft but still nothing to write home about. Thursday morning the 13th is glassy though, which is a nice touch for the small stuff.

Friday the 14th through to Sunday the 16th are a write-off. The wind is howling from the west and north-west, mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell gets a bit bigger but it’s choppy and messy. The combined energy hits 224 on the Saturday afternoon, but with that wind, it’s not worth paddling out.

Monday the 17th is a bit of a reset. The swell drops back to 3ft, but the wind goes light offshore from the SSE, so it’s clean again. Still, the energy is only 113, so it’s small and weak.

Now, here’s the interesting bit. Tuesday the 18th sees a big jump in size – 12ft in the morning and 15ft in the afternoon from the west. The combined energy skyrockets to 3412 in the afternoon, which is serious power. But, the wind is strong cross-shore, 25 mph in the afternoon, and the period is only 10 seconds. That’s a messy, blown-out, heavy wall of water. For a reef break, that’s expert territory at best, and honestly, it’s going to be a washing machine. Kite surfers might be getting a grin, but for paddle surfing, it’s a pass.

The big swell lingers into Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, with 10ft and 6ft respectively, but the wind stays cross or cross-on, making it lumpy and ugly. The energy is still high (974 on Wednesday morning), but the quality is poor.

Friday the 21st is where things finally turn. The swell has dropped to a manageable 4ft from the WNW, and the wind is light cross-off from the SE. The combined energy is 315, so it’s got some life, and the comment says “clean.” That’s your best bet in the first week – small, clean, and surfable. Not a standout, but a solid session.

Then we hit a bit of a gap. Saturday the 22nd through to Monday the 25th is mostly poor, with onshore winds from the north and north-east, small swell, and low energy. The 26th of August is a tease – Wednesday morning is glassy with 3ft from the WNW, and the energy is 209. The comment says “expect good surf conditions,” so that’s a nice little window. But the wind goes cross-on in the afternoon and the swell jumps to 6ft, so it’s short-lived.

Now, the standout. Thursday the 27th of August. The morning is clean with light cross-off wind from the east, 6ft swell from the west, and a combined energy of 580. The comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one to circle. The afternoon gets bigger – 12ft from the west with a long period of 13 seconds, and the energy is a massive 4162. That’s a groundswell with real power. But it’s a reef break, so that long-period, west swell will line up beautifully. The wind is light cross-on, which is manageable. That afternoon session is going to be pumping, but it’s big wave territory – experts only. If you’ve got the nerve, that’s the best on offer in the whole 16 days.

So, overall, there’s a lot of small, gutless, or windy days, but the 27th of August morning and afternoon are the real standouts. The Friday the 21st is a solid session for a small-wave board. The rest is mostly waiting for that one.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
W
11
0.6
W
10
0.4
WSW
10
0.6
W
11
0.6
W
11
0.6
W
10
0.5
W
10
0.8
W
9
0.5
N
9
1
W
7
1.2
W
8
1.4
WNW
8
1.5
NNW
8
1.2
N
8
0.8
N
7
0.8
N
8
0.7
N
8
0.5
W
9
3.5
W
8
4.5
W
10
3
NNW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
41
80
33
89
82
73
48
106
40
86
200
270
259
168
68
84
61
37
1548
3406
907
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
5
NNW
5
S
5
E
10
NE
10
SSW
20
WNW
25
WNW
20
W
25
W
25
WNW
25
NW
25
NNW
20
NNW
5
WNW
10
SSE
15
SE
20
SE
20
W
40
WNW
25
NNW
Wind State
off
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
High Tide
9:16PM5.15m
9:57AM4.97m
9:59PM5.31m
10:39AM4.99m
10:40PM5.35m
11:18AM4.92m
11:19PM5.28m
11:55AM4.77m
11:57PM5.10m
12:32PM4.57m
00:36AM4.83m
1:10PM4.35m
1:17AM4.51m
Low Tide
3:05PM1.49m
3:34AM0.89m
3:48PM1.37m
4:17AM0.79m
4:28PM1.34m
4:58AM0.82m
5:07PM1.40m
5:37AM0.98m
5:45PM1.53m
6:16AM1.25m
6:23PM1.74m
6:55AM1.57m
7:03PM1.99m
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cloud
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rain showers
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
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cloud
heavy rain
light rain
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:26
5:28
5:31
5:33
5:35
5:37
5:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:09
9:07
9:05
9:02
9:00
8:57
8:54
 mm
3
1
2
1
11
4
1
Temp °C
22
23
20
19
20
18
16
15
14
14
14
12
11
11
11
14
15
12
14
13
13
Feels °C
20
22
20
19
20
18
13
11
10
9
9
8
6
6
9
13
12
9
7
6
8
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the The Cove Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Cove surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Cove) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Cove may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Are you planning a holiday in Scotland - North Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near The Cove, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Scotland - North Coast, consider staying in Scrabster which is 7 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Scotland - North Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Wick which is 39 km (24 miles) away and Kirkwall, 56 km (35 miles) away.

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