Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, NNW swell with 329 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period with NNW 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 (Aug 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 1.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming our way for The Cove. I won’t sugar-coat it – this one’s a tough stretch.
The pattern over the next 16 days is pretty grim for a paddle. The waves are mostly small, and when we do get a pulse of size, the wind is going to wreck it. The overall energy is low, and the conditions are messy. We’ve got a long gap of about a week and a half where it’s really just not worth getting wet.
Right through the first week, it’s a write-off. The first few days have a bit of north swell, around 3ft to 4ft, but it’s a short-period 8-second windswell with a combined energy of 177 to 341 (moderate), and the wind is cross or cross-on from the west. The water temp is 56°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The conditions are choppy and lumpy, just poor.
The only faint glimmer in that first week comes on Friday, August 7th. We get a tiny pulse of west swell, only 2ft to 2ft, but the wind drops right out. The morning is clean with a light breeze, and by the afternoon it’s glassy (combined energy 64 to 76). The waves are ordinary, but you might find a fun little ripple. Saturday morning, August 8th, is also glassy, but again, it’s tiny.
The second week doesn’t get much better. There’s a bigger swell coming from the north-west around August 14th and 15th, with heights pushing 8ft to 10ft and combined energy shooting up to 986 to 1533 (very strong). But the wind is howling from the north-northwest, cross-on and choppy. That’s not a surf window; that’s a mess. At that size, with that wind, it’s not for beginners, and honestly, it’s looking more like a kiteboarding session than a paddle. The period is 9 to 10 seconds, which is decent, but the wind is the enemy.
The only standout worth mentioning, if you’re desperate, is the glassy moments on Friday, August 7th, and Saturday, August 8th. It’s small, but it’s clean. That’s your best bet. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.
This is a bleak run for The Cove, but it’s one of those spells where the forecast can flip. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue night, light winds from the SSW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | N 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 113 | 118 | 147 | 171 | 202 | 329 | 269 | 186 | 133 | 80 | 78 | 43 | 31 | 31 | 19 | 39 | 62 | 40 | 42 | 60 | 73 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  | |
 | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | W 10 | W 10 | N 6 | N 6 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 113 | 118 | 147 | 171 | 202 | 329 | 269 | 186 | 133 | 80 | 78 | 43 | 30 | 31 | 19 | 8 | 18 | 40 | 21 | 60 | 73 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | W 10 | N 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 10 | W 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 26 | — | 123 | 41 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 42 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | NW 6 | W 11 | — | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | N 10 | NE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 16 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | — | — | ESE 2 | SE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 3 | E 3 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 6 | — | — | — | SE 2 |
| kJ | 62 | 53 | 37 | 167 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 31 | 13 | 18 | 39 | 62 | — | — | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 816 | 832 | 46 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 16 | 424 | 289 | 259 | 104 | 363 | 784 | 647 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 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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