The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.7°C
0.8° 

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 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, W swell with 7,872 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Sun 6th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 8s
Best Surf 4AM (Sat 12th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 13s
Most Powerful10PM (Mon 7th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here, and I've got the outlook for The Cove for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some absolute gems to plan for if you can wait.

The coming week starts off pretty flat and messy, but hang in there because the second week has some serious firepower on the horizon. For the next few days, we're looking at small, weak swells and a lot of wind. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are nothing to write home about – small waves with a bit of chop and cross-off breezes. The energy is weak, in the 130 to 232 range. It's surfable, but you wouldn't tell your mates about it.

Tuesday the 8th sees a jump in size, with the swell pushing to 8ft from the West, and a period of 11 seconds – that's proper groundswell. The combined energy is getting up there, moderate to strong at 1485 to 1822. The wind is cross-off, keeping things clean. This is more interesting for an intermediate surfer, but it's on the bigger side, so be aware.

Then we hit a real flat spot. Wednesday the 9th through to Friday the 11th is pretty much a write-off with onshore and cross-shore winds making a mess of things. You'd be better off checking the forecast again in a few days. This gap in quality lasts until the weekend.

Now, here's where it gets good. Starting Saturday the 12th, things fire up. We've got a solid 8ft to 8ft groundswell from the WNW, with a very long period of 13 seconds – that's proper energy, over 1965. The wind goes offshore, light to moderate, which will make The Cove (The-Cove_4) absolutely glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell direction (WNW) lines up well with the optimum NW direction for this exposed reef break. It'll be a bit hefty for beginners, but for anyone who knows what they're doing, this is the standout of the whole outlook. The long period swell will really wrap into this reef, offering some great shape.

Sunday the 13th keeps the quality going with 10ft from the WNW and a 12-second period, again with offshore winds. The energy is very strong at over 2431. It's still excellent, but the winds get a bit stronger in the afternoon, so get on it early.

The middle of the second week, Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th, is a bit more mixed with cross-off winds and some rain, but the size stays up. The water temp is about 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so a good 4/3 will do you fine.

Then, another big highlight: Wednesday the 16th. We're looking at 8ft to 8ft from the West with an 11-second period. The wind is light offshore in the morning, making it clean and excellent. The energy is strong, 1339 to 1832. This is another one to circle on the calendar.

The end of the outlook, from Thursday the 17th onwards, gets a bit wind-affected again, but we're still seeing 4ft to 5ft swells. The real final firecracker is Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st. We're talking 10ft to 13ft from the West and WNW with very strong energy (over 3924) and clean, moderate offshore winds. These are expert-only conditions due to the size, but if you've got the skills, these are the best days of the entire 16-day window. The swell direction is perfect for the spot.

So, to sum it up: don't bother this week. The clear standouts are Saturday the 12th and Wednesday the 16th for experienced surfers, and if you're an expert, the weekend of the 20th and 21st is an absolute no-brainer. Get in the water.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the W by Fri morning).

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
0
1
2
5
2
3
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
3
4
4
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
W
9
0.7
W
8
1.8
WSW
9
1.6
W
8
2.4
W
11
4
W
14
2.5
W
11
2.5
W
11
2.2
NW
11
2.2
NNW
8
1
W
9
0.8
W
8
0.6
W
8
0.7
W
7
1.2
W
9
2.2
WNW
7
2
WNW
8
1.6
WNW
8
2.4
WNW
13
2.5
WNW
13
2.4
WNW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
117
66
540
375
1351
5174
1485
1822
1069
514
157
86
42
54
239
410
437
366
1965
2412
1875
Wind (km/h)
25
SE
25
S
35
WSW
35
SW
35
SW
25
SSW
25
SW
15
SE
40
NW
30
NNW
15
NNW
5
SSW
10
SSE
10
S
20
SSW
30
W
30
W
15
SSW
20
SSE
10
S
20
W
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
glassy
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
off
off
cross
High Tide
5:06PM4.09m
6:11AM4.14m
6:28PM4.33m
7:23AM4.42m
7:29PM4.65m
8:16AM4.69m
8:17PM4.95m
9:00AM4.89m
9:00PM5.19m
9:38AM5.00m
9:38PM5.31m
10:12AM5.01m
10:14PM5.32m
Low Tide
10:53AM2.41m
11:44PM2.10m
12:19PM2.25m
00:56AM1.73m
1:20PM1.99m
1:50AM1.36m
2:08PM1.71m
2:35AM1.05m
2:50PM1.49m
3:16AM0.87m
3:29PM1.34m
3:55AM0.82m
4:05PM1.28m
light rain
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:22
6:24
6:26
6:28
6:31
6:33
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:01
7:59
7:55
7:52
7:50
7:46
7:44
 mm
5
2
7
2
1
1
Temp °C
16
17
17
15
15
12
12
13
12
12
13
11
15
16
14
13
14
12
11
13
13
Feels °C
13
14
13
7
7
5
6
9
8
7
10
10
13
14
10
6
8
8
7
11
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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