Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NW swell with 3,459 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here.
Look, I’ve been staring at The Cove for a full sixteen days and, honestly, it’s a real mixed bag. There’s plenty of energy around, but it’s mostly just wind-affected junk. For most of the run, the wind is from the wrong direction – onshore, cross-shore, you name it. It’s a reef set-up that needs a clean window, and that window stays shut for a good long while. You’ll see a gap of about a week from the start where I wouldn’t bother paddling out.
First up, we’ve got a nothingburger. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August are a write-off – small swell around 3ft to 4ft from the north with a short, weak period of only 6 to 7 seconds. The wind is on it like a seagull on a chip. The combined wave energy is pathetic too, sitting at 76 and 112, meaning the ocean is basically flat and messy.
The 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September? Wind is howling. We get a jump in swell Tuesday morning to 5ft from the west-northwest with a 9-second period and the combined energy climbs to 389 – moderate energy – but the wind is a fresh offshore from the south. That’d be clean, but the score is a hard zero. The conditions just aren’t right for The Cove. By the afternoon it’s 8ft but with a strong cross-shore and wind ripping at 28 mph. Just ugly.
Wednesday the 2nd of September sees some glimmer of hope. The morning swell is 8ft from the northwest, period is 8 seconds, energy is a solid 968, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore. It’s listed as marginal, meaning findable waves but the tide could be a factor. That’s the first real chance you’d have to get a wet suit on, but it’s for the keen and patient.
Then it’s back to the blender for Thursday the 3rd. Strong cross-shore winds again, making a mess of 4ft to 6ft swell.
Now, here’s the standout, but it comes with a date. Friday the 4th of September. Mark it. The morning at The Cove is going to be firing for the right crew. We’ve got a 8ft swell rolling in from the west with a very long 14-second period. The combined energy is a massive 2335 – that’s strong wave energy, proper groundswell. The wind is a gentle offshore breeze from the south-southeast. That’s glassy, clean, and a long-period west swell hitting The Cove’s optimum northwest direction? That’s pure Reef perfection. But let’s be real – at 8ft and breaking over a reef, this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners stay on the sand. The afternoon turns to an 8ft onshore mess, so get your session in early and get out.
After Friday, the quality drops off. The morning of Saturday the 5th is 6ft from the west with an 11-second period and a light cross-onshore wind. Energy is still high at 886, but the wind puts a ripple on it. Sunday the 6th to the 13th of September is a slow fade-out of energy. Swell gets smaller, directions get mixed, and the wind is either onshore or cross-shore. It’s not worth the drive. One last half-chance on Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th with 4ft to 5ft of clean cross-offshore swell, but it’s ordinary – just a knee-high dribble.
Best call: Friday morning the 4th of September is the only day that gets the heart rate up. The Cove will have that long-period west swell with offshore glass. For the rest of the run, you’re looking at flat spells and wind slop.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue morning, light winds from the SSW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 6 | NNW 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | W 8 | WNW 9 | W 7 | NW 10 | NW 8 | N 12 | NNW 11 | N 10 | W 6 | W 7 | W 14 | W 12 | W 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
72 | 62 | 138 | 92 | 55 | 32 | 21 | 13 | 346 | 349 | 554 | 3459 | 728 | 546 | 467 | 230 | 237 | 587 | 2280 | 2210 | 1191 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | off | on | on |
High Tide | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | 4:35AM1.10m | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 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 | |||||||
6:03 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 9 | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NNW 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | W 8 | N 9 | N 9 | — | NNW 12 | N 12 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | W 11 |
37 | 62 | 138 | 92 | 55 | 32 | 21 | 13 | 346 | 25 | 24 | — | 240 | 546 | 467 | 230 | 154 | 80 | 55 | 34 | 1191 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | E 8 | E 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | ESE 4 | N 9 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | NW 8 | W 7 | W 17 | W 18 | — | — | — | N 8 |
4 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 15 | — | — | — | 191 | 17 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | — | N 12 | N 11 | W 9 | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 2 | — | 3 | 2 | 14 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | NNE 6 | — | E 3 | E 3 | E 4 | — | W 5 | — | WNW 9 | W 7 | NW 10 | NW 8 | — | SE 4 | W 5 | W 6 | W 7 | W 14 | W 12 | — |
72 | 50 | — | 2 | 8 | 14 | — | 87 | — | 349 | 554 | 3459 | 728 | — | 10 | 104 | 237 | 587 | 2280 | 2210 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 183 | 65 | 16 | 9 | 34 | 34 | 143 | 421 | 0 | 678 | 593 | 278 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 370 | 1104 | 590 | 0 | 87 | 593 |
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.











