
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 14s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 25ft (7.5m), 14s period, W swell with 22,464 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 15s. 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 7.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 23ft (7.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 20th Sep) | 25ft (7.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long look at what’s on the cards for The Cove over the next couple of weeks. Buckle up, because there’s a lot of movement to sift through.
We start with a bit of a wait. Saturday the 12th is a write-off; a stiff 25 mph crosswind from the West and a messy 11.5 ft cross-chop makes it one to skip. You wouldn’t want to be out there.
The first real window of opportunity opens on Sunday morning, the 13th. It’s a standout. We’ve got a clean 6.9 ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell with some decent energy (1050). What really makes it, though, is that light 9 mph cross-offshore breeze from the WSW. The water’s sitting at 56.3°, which is pretty average for this time of year. This is excellent for experienced surfers, especially as The Cove is an exposed reef break and that longer period will wrap in nicely. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early.
Sunday afternoon keeps the goodness going. The swell drops a touch to 5.9 ft from the WNW, but the wind goes glassy – 3 mph from the WNW. That’s about as clean as it gets. The period drops to 10 seconds (777 energy), but for a reef setup, that glassy surface is a major positive.
Moving into Monday the 14th, things are still worthwhile. The morning brings a clean 3.0 ft swell from the NNW with a long 12-second period and a solid offshore from the South at 12 mph. Energy is moderate (386). It’s a smaller, clean option. The afternoon switches to a 4.3 ft swell from the West with a light cross-off breeze, still clean.
Tuesday the 15th sees a downturn. The morning is a poor 3.6 ft with cross-shore wind and slight chop (363 energy). The afternoon gets ugly: a 6.9 ft short-period windswell (only 6 seconds) with a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore making it lumpy. Not worth it.
Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th are dominated by onshore and cross-shore winds with lumpy conditions. There’s size, but the quality is shot. Wednesday morning has a 6.2 ft NNW swell with 19 mph cross-onshore wind; energy is 762 but it’s messy. Thursday sees 5.6 ft to 6.6 ft with 22 mph cross-winds. Avoid.
Now, here’s a big one for the following week. Friday the 18th is a different story. The morning brings a huge 13.1 ft WNW swell with a very long 14-second period (massive energy at 6031). It’s clean with a cross-offshore breeze from the SW at 19 mph. However, at 13.1 ft, this is expert-only territory at a reef break. The sheer size and power will be serious, and the long period will make it wall up. It’s a standout for those with the skills, but it’s only for the experienced. The afternoon drops to 9.8 ft (3359 energy), still clean, but still big.
Saturday the 19th is a no-go. The swell is 13.1 ft to 18.0 ft, but the wind is howling at 28 to 34 mph from the WSW. That’s near gale force. Forget surfing; this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Sunday the 20th is a write-off for surfing. We’re looking at a massive 21.3 ft to 19.7 ft WNW swell with 31 to 34 mph cross-winds. The energy is astronomical (16886), but it’s simply too big and blown out. The swell is predicted to be too big for this break.
Monday the 21st stays on the poor side. 16.4 ft WNW swells with strong cross-shore winds and messy chop. Energy is still very high (6610, 6486), but the conditions are terrible.
Tuesday the 22nd offers a slight chance. The swell is still a solid 11.5 ft to 9.8 ft from the WNW (2695, 2312 energy), but the wind swings light easterly. It’s cross-shore, creating some ripples, so it’s marginal.
Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th see the swell drop off significantly. Wednesday is 6.2 ft to 4.9 ft with clean cross-offshore winds, but the energy is dropping (660-1044). Thursday morning is small, with a glassy 3.0 ft swell from the North (167 energy) – surfable but very ordinary.
Friday the 25th picks up a little again with a 4.9 ft WNW swell (563 energy) and a clean cross-off breeze, but the wind picks up strong later in the day.
The weekend of the 26th and 27th fizzles out. Small, weak swells (below 3.3 ft) with clean but unexciting winds. The energy drops to double digits (132, 80). Nothing to get excited about.
Overall, the absolute best of the run is Sunday morning the 13th for a clean, manageable 6.9 ft groundswell with glassy
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Tue night, light winds from the SSW by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | W 11 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | W 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
3387 | 2067 | 1008 | 650 | 276 | 254 | 262 | 311 | 267 | 319 | 258 | 395 | 379 | 304 | 372 | 568 | 8347 | 6019 | 3347 | 2934 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | 12:19PM4.44m | 00:35AM4.38m | 12:56PM4.22m | 1:21AM4.04m | 1:43PM4.00m | 2:27AM3.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | 5:06AM1.09m | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | 6:12AM1.69m | 6:27PM1.89m | 6:47AM2.04m | 7:09PM2.16m | 7:27AM2.38m | 8:04PM2.43m | |||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | SE 6 | W 10 | W 11 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | N 9 |
8 | 2067 | 1008 | 650 | 276 | 254 | 262 | 311 | 267 | 1 | 153 | 367 | 273 | 304 | 86 | 44 | 8347 | 6019 | 3347 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 15 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | WNW 9 | NNW 12 | N 11 | N 10 | — | SE 6 | — | W 11 | W 9 | — | W 17 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | — |
— | — | 42 | 127 | 271 | 132 | 232 | 149 | 96 | — | 2 | — | 379 | 211 | — | 5 | 18 | 12 | 12 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 13 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | — | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | SSE 3 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | W 12 |
3387 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | — | — | 319 | 258 | 395 | 149 | 2 | 372 | 568 | — | — | — | 2934 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 621 | 668 | 239 | 309 | 0 | 332 | 423 | 37 | 813 | 453 | 1106 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










