Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, W swell with 1,345 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with NNE 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 05) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period. 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) 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 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s heading our way.
The first few days are a total bust – nothing worth paddling for until Friday the 7th. That’s a three-day dry spell.
First sign of life is Friday the 7th afternoon at The Cove. A 4ft swell from the west, 9-second period, with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. The combined energy is moderate (276). It’s just a toe in the water.
Saturday the 8th morning picks up to 7ft from the west, 10-second period, still cross-offshore and clean. Energy jumps to 723 – solid. This is getting interesting.
The real highlight of the first week is Sunday the 9th morning. The Cove is seeing a 8ft west swell, 10-second period, with clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 1055 – that’s strong. Water temp is 56°, right on average for the season. This is a proper session for the experienced crew; the size is up there, so beginners should sit this one out.
After that, the wind turns cross-on, and the swell drops, making things lumpy through Monday and Tuesday.
Now, the long-range diamond: Friday the 14th morning. The Cove is forecast for an 8ft west swell at 10 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the southwest. The energy is 1334 – that’s massive. This is expert-only territory. If you’re skilled enough, this could be the best session of the entire forecast.
Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th still have decent 7ft to 5ft swell, with clean offshore winds on Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Energy is strong (496 to 533). Good, solid surf, but not as big as the Friday.
The last few days into the 18th and 19th fade out with small, short-period, wind-affected junk.
So, your two to circle: Sunday the 9th morning for the big, clean west swell, and Friday the 14th morning for the absolute bomb. The rest is just riding the waves in between.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue night, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Tue morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat morning, light winds from the NNW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 107 | 82 | 107 | 153 | 414 | 399 | 255 | 94 | 33 | 30 | 258 | 528 | 708 | 549 | 1345 | 1004 | 563 | 548 | 650 | 745 | 353 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | 5:55AM4.19m | 6:32PM4.36m | 7:16AM4.39m | 7:36PM4.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | 12:22PM2.08m | 1:01AM1.85m | 1:26PM1.88m | 1:59AM1.47m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:15 |
mm | 8 | 9 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 13 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | W 10 | ESE 6 | W 11 | W 10 | N 7 | N 7 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | N 8 | NW 14 | WNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 |
| kJ | 107 | 82 | 107 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 94 | 33 | 30 | 258 | 528 | 708 | 549 | 5 | 46 | 563 | 548 | 650 | 745 | 348 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | E 7 | W 7 | W 10 | — | E 6 | W 10 | WNW 4 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 9 | N 9 | NNW 9 | — | N 8 | NW 12 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | — |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | — | 5 | 539 | 194 | 88 | 92 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | W 10 | NE 10 | NNE 10 | N 11 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | — | — | N 7 | — | NW 11 | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | 33 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | E 5 | ESE 5 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | WNW 5 | — | W 5 | S 3 | — | SSW 4 | — | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | W 10 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 21 | 121 | 8 | 153 | 414 | 399 | 255 | 19 | — | 29 | 1 | — | 16 | — | 1345 | 1004 | — | — | — | 196 | 353 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 417 | 289 | 10 | 32 | 176 | 1104 | 318 | 259 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 421 | 421 | 572 | 421 | 786 | 759 | 654 | 287 | 287 | 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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