Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, W swell with 3,761 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with WNW 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 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) 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 1.2m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s get into it.
The first real glimmer of surf isn’t until the morning of Sunday, September 6th, so we’re looking at a solid four-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for at The Cove. The early part of the week is a write-off—windy, onshore, lumpy, just a mess.
Sunday, September 6th finally offers a window. Morning at The Cove brings a small 4ft swell from the west, with a clean cross-off breeze and light winds. The combined energy is weak at 218, but it’s clean. For a break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to NW, this is a glassy moment. It’s a reef setup, so the small size keeps it manageable for intermediate surfers. Crowds are possible here, so expect company.
Monday, September 14th is where things get interesting. The morning session sees a solid 10ft swell from the WNW, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the cross-off wind keeps it clean. The combined energy is strong at 2616. This is big—over 8ft—so it’s for experts only. The long period makes it better suited for the reef here, as it’ll hold shape. The afternoon is also good, with 8ft and the same clean conditions.
Tuesday, September 15th morning is the standout. A 10ft WNW swell, 12-second period, and light cross-off wind from the WSW. The water temp is 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers, and the combined energy is a robust 2724. This is the best on offer—big, clean, and powerful. If you’re an expert, this is the window.
Look, the rest of the 16 days is a mix of messy wind or small, weak swell. The Sunday the 6th is a small, clean option for the intermediates, but Tuesday the 15th morning is the real ticket for the crew that can handle it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Tue morning, light winds from the NE by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the SE by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 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) | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | WSW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 35 | 187 | 312 | 816 | 1292 | 596 | 256 | 157 | 188 | 590 | 1982 | 1219 | 1628 | 788 | 322 | 169 | 116 | 54 | 258 | 1627 | 3761 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 11:47AM4.72m | 11:55PM4.92m | 12:25PM4.57m | 00:38AM4.69m | 1:11PM4.38m | 1:32AM4.40m | 2:10PM4.17m | 2:47AM4.12m | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:54PM1.57m | 6:21AM1.42m | 6:34PM1.76m | 7:04AM1.70m | 7:23PM1.99m | 7:57AM2.02m | 8:29PM2.21m | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | |  | |  | | |  | |  | |  | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 7:59 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 5 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | N 8 | N 13 | NNW 9 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 11 | W 10 | — | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 7 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 14 | W 14 |
| kJ | 35 | 21 | 3 | 816 | 1292 | 596 | 256 | 157 | 141 | 590 | — | 10 | 10 | 11 | 322 | 169 | 116 | 54 | 258 | 1627 | 3761 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SE 5 | SE 6 | — | W 8 | W 8 | — | W 18 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | N 10 | N 9 | NNE 9 | W 11 | NNE 9 | — |
| kJ | 26 | 1 | 1 | — | 58 | 18 | — | 6 | 66 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 49 | 43 | 27 | 151 | 8 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | NNE 9 | SE 8 | — |
| kJ | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 16 | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | W 6 | WNW 7 | W 8 | — | SE 3 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 7 | SSW 4 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | SSE 4 | SE 5 | SW 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 17 | 187 | 312 | 129 | — | 6 | 133 | 95 | 188 | 33 | 1982 | 1219 | 1628 | 788 | — | 17 | 63 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 19 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 593 | 287 | 46 | 16 | 9 | 176 | 148 | 7 | 369 | 776 | 621 | 421 | 547 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 176 | 621 | 176 |
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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