Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 2,849 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s 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 (Jul 28) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, looking at the forecast for The Cove.
Straight up, this is a tough outlook. There’s surf coming, but it’s going to be a fight against the wind for most of the 16 days. The first proper chance of a wave isn’t until late next week, so we’ve got a long wait.
The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Now, the first real glimmer comes on Tuesday the 28th, with a small 4ft west swell at 9 seconds. The wave energy is weak, just 343 (moderate energy) but the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. That’s a rare moment of perfection for The Cove, so get on it if you can. It’s a reef break, intermediate level, and fairly consistent, but on a small swell like this it’ll be a pick-and-choose affair. Crowds can show sometimes here, but on a Tuesday you might have it quiet.
From there, Wednesday the 29th morning still looks clean with a light offshore breeze and 4ft west swell, but the energy drops further to 222 (weak energy). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.
The real standout comes at the end of the first week. Friday the 31st afternoon shows a jump: 7ft west swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light southwesterly, offshore for this spot. The combined energy hits 645 (moderate energy), and the conditions are clean. This is your best shot at something with a bit of push that’s still lined up. It might be pushing the limits for beginners at over 5ft, but for intermediates it’s going to be fun.
After that, it’s a messy end to the run. Saturday the 1st of August is okay in the morning but gets chopped up by rain and cross shore wind in the arvo. Then we hit a flat, windy patch with nothing worth paddling out for until the final days. The swell directions swing around to the WNW with very short periods (7-8 seconds) and strong winds, making for lumpy, messy conditions that are more for the kite crowd than paddle surfing.
Overall, The Cove offers one or two windows of clean fun: Tuesday the 28th afternoon for the glassy, small-wave cruiser session, and Friday the 31st afternoon for the best combination of size and shape. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, moderate winds from the NW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sun night, calm by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 259 | 388 | 827 | 1018 | 1107 | 1404 | 2849 | 1856 | 954 | 598 | 533 | 599 | 725 | 573 | 445 | 318 | 275 | 306 | 192 | 112 | 86 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:54PM3.95m | 5:13AM3.94m | 6:01PM4.00m | 6:29AM3.92m | 7:01PM4.14m | 7:34AM4.01m | 7:51PM4.32m | 8:24AM4.15m | 8:32PM4.50m | 9:05AM4.29m | 9:09PM4.66m | 9:40AM4.43m | 9:42PM4.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:35AM2.28m | 11:12PM2.51m | 11:45AM2.35m | 00:26AM2.39m | 12:46PM2.31m | 1:24AM2.19m | 1:36PM2.21m | 2:10AM1.96m | 2:18PM2.06m | 2:49AM1.76m | 2:55PM1.92m | 3:24AM1.58m | 3:30PM1.78m | 3:58AM1.44m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 4:43 | — | — | 4:46 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:50 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:55 | — | — | 9:53 | — | — | 9:52 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | W 10 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 13 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 954 | 598 | 533 | 599 | 402 | 573 | 173 | 318 | 275 | 306 | 192 | 112 | 86 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | W 10 | — | NNW 10 | — | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 290 | 394 | 339 | — | 294 | — | 106 | 68 | 48 | 30 | 30 | 41 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | E 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | N 7 | — | — | — | W 10 | — | W 9 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | W 3 | — |
| kJ | 259 | 388 | 827 | 1018 | 1107 | 1404 | 2849 | 1856 | 159 | — | — | — | 725 | — | 445 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 424 | 1680 | 412 | 842 | 1106 | 678 | 678 | 678 | 35 | 63 | 1106 | 7 | 421 | 34 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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