Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, W swell with 2,424 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. 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 3.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty again. Let's break down the same forecast, just in feet and Fahrenheit.
It's a quiet start for The Cove. From Tuesday the 11th right through to Monday the 17th, it's mostly flat and uninspiring. We're talking tiny waves from 1ft to 3ft, with periods mostly under 11 seconds, and the wind is a mixed bag of cross, cross-off, and cross-on breezes. Wave energy is low, ranging from 25 to 149, and most sessions are rated poor. A couple of mornings on the 12th and 13th might give you surfable but very ordinary slop, but it's nothing to get excited about. Your board is better off in the garage.
Things pick up on Tuesday the 18th morning, with a jump to 8ft from the west at 9 seconds. That's backed by a clean offshore from the south, and the combined energy is a solid 846. That's a proper session for intermediates. But by afternoon, the wind goes west and cross, turning it lumpy. Not worth the paddle.
The *big* standout, the one to pencil in, is Wednesday morning the 19th. We're looking at a solid 12ft swell from the west-northwest with an 11-second period – that's groundswell, clean and powerful. The wave energy is huge at 2628. With a light cross-off breeze from the WSW, The Cove is going to be pumping. This is excellent surf, but that's over 8ft, so it's for experienced surfers only. That's the morning you want to be on.
The rest of that week into the 20th and 21st has the swell hanging in at 8ft to 10ft, but the wind gets messy – cross-off or cross-on – and the quality fades. By the 22nd and 23rd, it's onshore and choppy, and the swell drops off fast into tiny ankle-biters by the 24th.
There's one more little window on Tuesday the 25th. We get a clean 4ft west swell with a 9-second period and a gentle cross-off breeze from the southeast. Wave energy is a moderate 420, and conditions look good. That's a fun, manageable size for most, but it's more than a week out.
Water temp is 56°F, which is right around average for this time of year.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The absolute standout is Wednesday the 19th morning for the big-wave crowd. Tuesday the 25th morning might offer a clean little session for intermediates if everything lines up. The Cove doesn't fire every day, but when it does, it's worth the wait.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | N 7 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 10 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 5 | W 8 | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 78 | 39 | 41 | 80 | 32 | 64 | 82 | 98 | 90 | 104 | 101 | 74 | 200 | 188 | 232 | 163 | 86 | 48 | 43 | 35 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:30PM4.91m | 9:12AM4.84m | 9:16PM5.15m | 9:57AM4.97m | 9:59PM5.31m | 10:39AM4.99m | 10:40PM5.35m | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:49AM1.13m | 3:05PM1.49m | 3:34AM0.89m | 3:48PM1.37m | 4:17AM0.79m | 4:28PM1.34m | 4:58AM0.82m | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — |
 | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 10 | W 6 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | NNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | W 8 |
| kJ | 78 | 39 | 15 | 80 | 27 | 64 | 82 | 98 | 42 | 45 | 25 | 25 | 200 | 33 | 77 | 55 | 86 | 48 | 26 | 35 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 11 | N 7 | WSW 10 | W 6 | N 10 | N 9 | E 6 | SE 5 | — | — | N 9 | N 8 | — | — | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | N 7 |
| kJ | 15 | 8 | 41 | 15 | 32 | 5 | 53 | 43 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 12 | — | — | 23 | 18 | 43 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | W 8 | ESE 5 | N 7 | N 8 | W 5 | E 6 | — | E 6 | E 5 | — | N 10 | N 8 | — | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SE 3 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 5 | — | WNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | — | — | ESE 2 | SE 3 |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | 104 | 101 | 74 | — | 188 | 232 | 163 | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 63 | 1182 | 21 | 726 | 63 | 87 | 32 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 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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