The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 07 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.4° C
0.0° 

The Cove surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Cove surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, NW swell with 1,419 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Sat 8th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Best Surf10PM (Sat 8th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Most Powerful 7AM (Mon 10th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at The Cove. It’s a reef break, fairly consistent, and exposed to the west. The water’s sitting at 56°F, which is spot on average for this time of year—no weird anomalies messing with things.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. There’s a bit of a flat spell on the horizon, but we’ve got a couple of windows of opportunity if you’re keen. The first real push of swell arrives this Saturday afternoon, the 8th. We’re looking at an 8ft W swell with a 10-second period, and the energy is solid at 1222. It’s a bit crossed-off with a 20 km/h SW breeze, which will keep it clean-ish but not perfect. That’s probably your best bet for a proper wave in the first week, though Sunday morning looks like it’ll be blown out by a strong 40 km/h WSW wind.

The swell drops right back by Tuesday the 11th, down to 4ft N, but the wind swings SE and goes cross-off with a gentle breeze. It’s clean, but it’s small. The energy is only 269, so it’s weak. Still, if you’re desperate for a grovel, that’s your window.

After that, it’s a long, drawn-out lull. From Wednesday the 12th through to around the 18th, the swell is mostly under 4ft, and a lot of that is short-period junk. The energy readings are mostly in the low hundreds or even below 100—weak. The winds are all over the place, but mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping things lumpy and uninviting. There’s a stretch of about five to six days there where I wouldn’t bother paddling out.

There’s a tiny glimmer on Thursday the 20th afternoon. The wind goes completely glassy, 0 km/h. But the swell is only 1ft from the NNW with a 8-second period. The energy is 74. It’s surfable but very ordinary. You’d be scratching for anything.

The second week is looking pretty slim. There’s a slight pulse on Sunday the 16th afternoon with 4ft W swell at 10 seconds, but the wind is a fresh WSW cross-off, and the energy is 330—moderate at best. It’s just not worth getting excited about. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain. The whole period is dominated by short-period swell, which is a shame because a reef like this would love a bit more grunt.

Overall, if you’re flexible, Saturday afternoon the 8th is the standout. It’s not perfect, but it’s the biggest and most powerful swell we see. The other option is Tuesday morning the 11th for a clean, small wave. For the rest, you might be better off checking the forecast again in a few days. The potential is there, but it’s not coming together yet.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu morning).

Fri
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
0
3
2
0
1
0
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.1
W
8
2
W
9
2.2
W
9
2.5
W
10
1.7
W
10
2.3
W
9
2.5
W
9
2.5
WNW
7
2.4
NNW
10
2.4
NNW
9
1.6
N
9
1.3
N
9
1
N
8
0.7
N
8
0.5
N
7
0.5
W
11
0.7
W
10
0.3
W
9
1.8
W
6
1.7
W
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
597
680
800
1203
524
859
1033
703
1042
933
412
251
135
58
28
59
90
14
247
247
Wind (km/h)
35
WSW
25
SW
35
SW
20
SW
15
WSW
40
WSW
35
W
35
WNW
35
WNW
30
WNW
10
WNW
15
SE
20
SE
15
SE
10
SSW
15
SSE
5
SSE
25
WSW
40
WSW
30
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
High Tide
4:23AM4.15m
5:15PM4.16m
5:55AM4.19m
6:32PM4.36m
7:16AM4.39m
7:36PM4.63m
8:20AM4.63m
8:30PM4.91m
9:12AM4.84m
9:16PM5.15m
9:57AM4.97m
9:59PM5.31m
Low Tide
10:15PM2.33m
11:01AM2.17m
11:47PM2.18m
12:22PM2.08m
1:01AM1.85m
1:26PM1.88m
1:59AM1.47m
2:19PM1.67m
2:49AM1.13m
3:05PM1.49m
3:34AM0.89m
3:48PM1.37m
light rain
light rain
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:18
5:20
5:22
5:24
5:26
5:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:22
9:20
9:17
9:15
9:13
9:09
9:07
 mm
3
3
3
4
Temp °C
14
14
16
15
14
14
14
12
12
11
10
13
14
15
21
23
19
18
17
15
Feels °C
8
9
11
12
12
6
7
6
5
4
6
9
9
12
21
24
20
14
10
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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