Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, WNW swell with 4,769 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with WNW 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 (Sep 09) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the waves on offer. We’ve got a mixed bag ahead, so let’s break it down.
The opening days are pretty lacklustre. Wednesday and Thursday bring small, weak swell with a combined energy of only 246 and a meagre 109, so don’t get your hopes up. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. We’ve got a gap of a few days where the surf is either small or messy, but hold tight.
Friday, the 11th, sees a jump in size with a 7ft to 8ft W swell, but a strong 22 mph cross-off wind blows through. The energy picks up to a moderate 926, but those conditions are a bit rough for a standout. Saturday, the 12th, gets a proper hammering; a massive 13ft WNW swell rolls in, but with 28 mph winds and a combined energy of 4775, it's a washing machine. Save that one for the experts only, and even then, it’s gnarly.
Sunday the 13th offers a small glimmer. Morning sees a 7ft WNW swell with moderate cross-shore chop, but the afternoon eases. By Monday and Tuesday, it’s still nothing to write home about.
Now, here’s the standout. The Cove finally gets its act together on the afternoon of Friday, the 18th of September. A solid 8ft WNW swell is pushing in, with a long period of 13 seconds carrying real energy (2167 combined). The wind goes glassy – absolute glassy – which is a rare treat. This is excellent quality surf for the experienced crew. It’s a reef set-up and a fairly consistent spot, so expect some proper lines. Just bear in mind that 8ft is solid and heavy, especially on a reef. This is the highlight by a mile.
We get a second promising window on the morning and afternoon of Tuesday, the 22nd. Another 8ft W swell but a shorter 10-second period, making it a bit more manageable. Offshore winds from the south and a combined energy around 1307-1492. The conditions are labelled as excellent for experienced surfers again, and with a light to gentle offshore breeze, the waves will be clean and hollow. This is a great bet if you missed the 18th.
After that, a small pulse on the 24th of September looks heavy, pushing 15ft at a long 12 seconds, with a massive 5126 energy and clean offshore wind. That’s for true experts only.
So to sum it up, the surf is flat or messy for the first week. The absolute best on offer is the glassy afternoon of Friday the 18th, with Tuesday the 22nd being your second pick. Be patient – it’ll be worth the wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat morning, light winds from the S by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | W 10 | W 9 | N 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 220 | 162 | 46 | 68 | 92 | 720 | 482 | 924 | 1412 | 4769 | 3727 | 1849 | 1027 | 716 | 467 | 439 | 450 | 534 | 498 | 440 | 308 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | 5:06AM1.09m | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:36 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | W 9 | N 7 | W 7 | W 8 | N 7 | N 6 | W 9 | WNW 11 | SE 5 | — | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 11 | N 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 176 | 162 | 44 | 68 | 92 | 4 | 1 | 924 | 1412 | 7 | — | 1849 | 1027 | 716 | 295 | 439 | 450 | 534 | 112 | 440 | 308 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | NNW 7 | W 5 | N 7 | N 7 | ESE 7 | N 6 | N 10 | WNW 15 | SSE 4 | — | NNW 13 | NNW 15 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | WNW 9 | N 12 | N 11 | SE 6 | N 10 | N 9 |
| kJ | 220 | 84 | 25 | 38 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 573 | 3 | — | 33 | 167 | 298 | 467 | 132 | 279 | 151 | 2 | 73 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 8 | W 12 | W 12 | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | SE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 46 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SE 4 | W 10 | W 7 | — | S 3 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | — | SSW 3 | W 11 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 10 | 10 | 720 | 482 | — | 4 | 4769 | 3727 | — | — | — | 3 | 14 | — | 3 | 498 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 577 | 34 | 9 | 421 | 389 | 10 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 171 | 648 | 34 |
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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