The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 31 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.9°C
0.9° 

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 31 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, W swell with 9,880 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Tue 1st Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Best Surf10PM (Sat 5th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Fri 4th Sep)20ft (6.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off with a pretty grim stretch of days. The Cove, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and works best with a NW swell, is going to be a write-off for a good while. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 31st is a no-go – cloudy, strong cross-shore winds at 19 mph, and a weak, messy 3ft W swell with only 4 seconds of period. The energy is just pathetic (59). It’s not worth paddling out.

Tuesday morning the 1st of September looks clean with offshore winds, but the swell is tiny at 1ft, so you’re barely getting a ripple. By the afternoon, it picks up to 6ft but the wind swings cross-shore and the period drops to 6 seconds – messy and lumpy.

Wednesday the 2nd has some size: 7ft from the NNW in the morning with a 9-second period, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. The afternoon lightens up with a NE breeze but still cross-onshore and marginal. Energy is moderate (889-891) but it’s not clean.

Thursday the 3rd is a 4ft N swell in the morning, but cross-shore winds ruin it. The afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore, but the swell drops to 3ft. Not much to get excited about.

Friday the 4th morning has a 6ft W swell with a longer 11-second period and clean conditions from a cross-offshore SSW breeze. This is the first time we’ve got something that looks promising – the energy is solid (873) and the wind is clean. But it’s still only a marginal call. The afternoon gets a big 10ft W swell, but the wind hammers up to 31 mph from the WSW – that’s near gale force, and the period drops to 8 seconds. That’s a messy, dangerous close-out. Not for paddle surfing; you’d want a kite for that.

Saturday the 5th is blown out again. 12ft from the WNW in the morning with 11-second period sounds massive, but cross-shore wind at 22 mph makes it a lumpy mess (energy 2999). The afternoon drops to 8ft but still cross-shore and lumpy. Too big and messy for anyone but experts, and even then, it’s not clean.

Sunday the 6th finally gives us a small window – 3ft from the NW, 8-second period, with offshore SSE winds. It’s weak (177 energy) and only “ordinary”, but it’s clean. The afternoon is similar with 2ft. Not a standout, but at least you can get wet.

Monday the 7th is back to poor – 6ft W swell, but cross-offshore winds are too strong (22-28 mph). Clean but blown out.

Now, here’s the best on offer: Tuesday morning the 8th of September. The swell is 4ft from the NW, 9-second period, with gentle offshore winds from the S. Energy is weak (267) but the conditions are clean and the wind is light. This is the only time in the whole run where the score says “expect good surf conditions.” The break is a reef, so that long period doesn’t matter as much. Crowds are only “sometimes” an issue, so you might get a few waves to yourself. This is the pick of the period.

After that, it’s a long gap. Wednesday the 9th has a 7ft W swell with 12-second period, but strong cross-offshore winds (25 mph) keep it marginal. The energy is strong (1184) but not clean. The rest of the week is all poor – Thursday the 10th to Tuesday the 15th is mostly onshore, weak, or blown out. The waves get smaller and smaller, and the winds pick up again. The final few days, like Tuesday the 15th, have clean offshore winds but tiny 2-2ft swell. It’s just not happening.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a mess. The one standout is Tuesday morning the 8th – small, clean, and glassy. If you can wait, that’s your window. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small. It’s a tough run for The Cove.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NE by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat night).

Mon
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
2
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
W
4
1
W
6
0.4
W
9
1.9
W
6
1.7
WNW
7
2.2
NNW
9
2.1
NNW
10
1.7
N
10
1.2
N
9
1
N
9
1.7
W
12
1.9
W
11
3
W
8
4.5
WNW
12
3.5
WNW
11
2.5
WNW
10
1.7
WNW
9
0.8
NW
8
0.6
W
8
0.8
W
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
36
76
26
281
294
787
833
586
246
153
819
843
1385
6161
2988
1412
464
78
45
99
Wind (km/h)
30
WNW
15
S
30
S
35
W
35
NW
20
WNW
10
NE
15
SE
30
W
25
WSW
20
SSW
30
SSW
50
WSW
40
WNW
35
WNW
25
WNW
15
SSE
20
SSE
20
S
20
SSE
Wind State
cross
off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
11:19PM5.06m
11:47AM4.72m
11:55PM4.92m
12:25PM4.57m
00:38AM4.69m
1:11PM4.38m
1:32AM4.40m
2:10PM4.17m
2:47AM4.12m
3:31PM4.04m
4:29AM4.01m
5:06PM4.09m
Low Tide
5:17PM1.45m
5:43AM1.23m
5:54PM1.57m
6:21AM1.42m
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
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:13
6:16
6:18
6:20
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:19
8:15
8:13
8:09
8:07
8:05
8:01
 mm
1
3
1
2
5
1
5
Temp °C
13
13
14
14
12
11
12
14
16
16
14
14
14
12
13
13
13
18
21
18
Feels °C
8
9
8
6
6
7
9
9
10
11
10
6
4
3
7
8
11
15
19
16
  • 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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