Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, W swell with 10,065 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with N 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 6.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) 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 1.4m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 20ft (6.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next 16 days for The Cove.
To be honest, the first part of this stretch is a total scratch. We've got some swell, but the wind is going to ruin most of it. Wednesday afternoon has a 2.4m swell from the NNW, but it's crossed up and the tide's iffy. Thursday's got strong side winds and messy conditions. Not good.
Friday looks like a storm day, not a surf day. A 6.0m swell with a near gale, that's just nasty – energy readings over 10000 on that one, it's huge but unsurfable. The weekend ain't much better, with onshore and cross-shore winds making everything lumpy. There's a small 3ft clean wave Sunday morning, but that's hardly worth the effort.
The water temp is around 57°F, which is close to a degree warmer than the long-term average for this time of year. Not a big deal, but it's there.
Now, Monday afternoon on the 7th gets a little interesting. We get a light offshore breeze and clean 5ft of west swell. It's not pumping, but it's rideable. If you're keen, that's your warm-up.
But the real gem is Thursday the 10th. We're talking a clean 7ft of west swell with a 9-second period, and the wind goes dead glassy in the afternoon. The energy is a solid mid-range, and the reef is fairly consistent. That's the day to get excited about – best of the whole run.
The second week is a waiting game again. Around the 13th and 14th, a serious long-period groundswell rolls in – we're talking a 17-second period on the Sunday, and pushing 13ft on the Monday. But the winds are strong and side-shore, just shredding it apart. All that energy, totally wasted. It's a tough one to watch.
We do get a small clean window on the 16th with a light offshore, but the swell has dropped back to 4ft. It's okay, but nothing special.
So, to wrap it up – it's a lean fortnight. The one standout, and I can't stress this enough, is Thursday the 10th. Make your plans around that. The long-period groundswell mid-second-week has potential but it's going to be blown out. Just one of those frustrating runs, but forecasts can change, and with how consistent The Cove can be, it won't stay poor forever.
Keep your chin up and your wetsuit ready.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Wed afternoon, near gales from the W by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat night, near gales from the WSW by Tue morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 11 | N 10 | W 6 | W 7 | WSW 7 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | W 7 | WNW 11 | NW 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1292 | 679 | 246 | 219 | 121 | 1517 | 10065 | 1807 | 1066 | 951 | 295 | 92 | 95 | 388 | 247 | 298 | 202 | 345 | 6281 | 3633 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | NNE 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | E 6 | — | — |
| kJ | 1292 | 679 | 246 | 127 | 66 | 31 | — | — | — | 951 | 295 | 92 | 95 | 27 | 247 | 298 | 165 | 1 | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | — | W 18 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 9 | N 9 | N 9 | SE 7 | NNE 8 | WNW 11 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | — | — |
| kJ | 42 | 18 | — | 6 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 39 | 41 | 7 | 7 | 76 | 5 | 2 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | N 8 | N 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 4 | W 6 | W 7 | WSW 7 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | SE 3 | SE 4 | SSE 4 | W 11 | — | — | WSW 8 | W 7 | WNW 11 | NW 10 |
| kJ | — | 15 | 206 | 219 | 121 | 1517 | 10065 | 1807 | 1066 | — | 3 | 15 | 11 | 388 | — | — | 202 | 345 | 6281 | 3633 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 34 | 424 | 34 | 7 | 678 | 621 | 582 | 412 | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 678 | 759 | 759 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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