Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, NNW swell with 283 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s is also forecast. 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 1.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
First off, this whole sixteen-day window looks pretty bleak for The Cove. There are no real standouts, and you’ll be waiting over two weeks for anything close to decent. The first ten days are a write-off, with nothing worth paddling out for. After that, we see a glimmer of hope right at the end, but it’s a long, flat, and choppy slog to get there.
The Cove is an exposed reef break, fairly consistent, and needs that NW swell. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing wild there.
The first real chance of a surf comes on Sunday, the 16th of August. It’s been a long drought, but that morning we see a 5ft W swell, with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind will be light from the SSW, blowing cross-off. That’ll clean it up, and the combined wave energy shows a moderate 229, bumping to 251 in the afternoon. It’s not going to be epic, but after such a long gap, it’s the best on offer. The 5 to 5ft range is still manageable for most intermediates, but the short period will keep it from being too powerful.
Monday the 17th gets a bigger push of swell, with 7ft WNW on the morning, but it’s blown out by a fresh cross-onshore wind and the energy jumps to 440. The afternoon hits 8ft with 703 energy, but the onshore wind ruins the quality. That big swell is really only for experts anyway.
So, if you’re hanging for a wave, mark your calendar for Sunday the 16th. The rest of the month is a bust.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, strong winds from the ESE by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 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) | WNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | E 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 7 | NNW 6 | N 6 | N 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 169 | 276 | 230 | 220 | 136 | 107 | 63 | 180 | 198 | 196 | 233 | 230 | 78 | 43 | 45 | 79 | 99 | 88 | 65 | 65 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — |
 | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 10 | W 10 | E 6 | W 10 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 142 | 276 | 230 | 220 | 136 | 107 | 63 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 78 | 43 | 35 | 79 | 99 | 88 | 65 | 65 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | — | — | W 11 | E 6 | E 5 | NNW 6 | W 9 | NNE 10 | N 9 | NE 7 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 |
| kJ | 169 | 55 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 45 | 74 | 39 | 14 | 8 | 13 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | NNE 10 | — | — | NNE 9 | N 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 18 | — | — | 8 | 2 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ESE 2 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | N 7 | NNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | — | — | E 2 | — | NE 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 28 | 133 | 180 | 198 | 196 | 233 | 230 | 74 | 13 | — | — | 1 | — | 11 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 63 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 417 | 170 | 186 | 110 | 148 | 809 | 309 | 289 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
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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