Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with 3,831 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.
The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag for The Cove, and honestly, the start is a washout. We’re looking at a gap of a couple of days until things get interesting. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing to worry about on that front.
The first real chance to get wet comes on Wednesday, the 2nd of September. The morning is a write-off with a 7ft cross-onshore chop from the NNW, but the afternoon settles to a 7ft NNW swell with a period of 10 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (894), but it’s messy with a cross-shore wind. It’s a marginal call at best.
Thursday the 3rd is a bit cleaner. The morning has a 4ft NNW swell with a 10-second period (301 energy) and a cross-offshore wind, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon drops to 4ft and gets a bit lumpy. It’s not a standout, but it’s surfable.
Now, Friday the 4th of September. The morning is looking good with a 6ft W swell, 11-second period, and fresh offshore winds from the S. That’s 704 energy and clean. But the real standout of the whole window is Friday afternoon. We’ve got an 12ft W swell with a 13-second period, and the energy is pumping at 3851. The wind is offshore-ish, keeping it clean. This is big, powerful groundswell. For a reef break like The Cove, that’s prime. The period is long, so expect solid, well-shaped waves with long lulls between sets. This is expert territory at that size. If you’re good enough, this is the session to aim for. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so be prepared for company.
Saturday the 5th is a no-go with 8ft WNW swell and strong cross-onshore winds. Sunday the 6th is average with a 7ft W swell and a cross-offshore wind, but it’s a bit short-period at 8 seconds.
The rest of the first week and into the second week is mostly blown out or messy. The 12th of September gives us a nice little window. Saturday morning has a 5ft N swell, 10-second period, and a cross-offshore wind from the SSE. The energy is 545, and it’s clean. Saturday afternoon goes glassy with a 4ft N swell, 9-second period. That’s a beautiful, small, clean session for the intermediate surfer.
After that, it tails off into small, weak, and messy conditions for the final days of the outlook. Nothing else is worth getting excited about.
So, the pick of the litter is Friday afternoon, the 4th of September, for the big groundswell at The Cove. The secondary standout is Sunday morning, the 12th of September, for a clean, glassy session on a smaller swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Mon morning, fresh winds from the W by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Thu afternoon, near gales from the W by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 4 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 48 | 123 | 30 | 252 | 273 | 846 | 850 | 621 | 301 | 194 | 149 | 673 | 3831 | 2092 | 1400 | 1368 | 739 | 227 | 555 | 603 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:17PM1.45m | 5:43AM1.23m | 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 | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 8:19 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:01 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | NNE 6 | W 6 | W 6 | N 8 | N 13 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | W 11 | W 11 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 7 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 10 |
20 | 13 | 123 | 30 | 21 | 3 | 846 | 850 | 621 | 301 | 194 | 149 | 673 | 20 | 10 | 10 | — | 739 | 227 | 555 | 603 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | N 9 | W 10 | W 9 | SE 5 | SE 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | W 6 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 |
14 | 2 | 31 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 94 | 44 | 18 | — | 29 | 86 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 22 | 22 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | N 9 | N 7 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | NW 8 |
1 | 2 | 8 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 4 | — | SSW 4 | W 6 | WNW 7 | — | — | SE 4 | W 5 | — | WSW 4 | S 4 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | SSE 4 | — | S 3 |
— | 48 | — | 7 | 252 | 273 | — | — | 18 | 44 | — | 54 | 27 | 3831 | 2092 | 1400 | 1368 | — | 16 | — | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 593 | 0 | 593 | 424 | 207 | 46 | 9 | 9 | 46 | 132 | 369 | 10 | 1085 | 531 | 593 | 474 | 7 | 10 | 524 | 421 |
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.











