The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.6°C
0.9° 

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 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, WNW swell with 7,755 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s 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 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Sun 13th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Best Surf 7PM (Sun 13th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Most Powerful10PM (Thu 17th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what The Cove has for us over the next few weeks.

The opening weekend is a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday morning is looking tricky – we’ve got a solid 8.2ft swell from the west-northwest with a groundswell period of 13 seconds, but that southwest wind is a cross-off, not quite clean enough to get excited about. It feels like a lot of energy just sliding past us (combined energy of 2379). Saturday afternoon is a write-off – strong wind and messy.

Sunday morning is the first real chance for a session. The swell drops to 6.6ft out of the west-northwest (967 combined energy), with a gentle cross-off breeze from the west-southwest. It’s clean, and the period is still a decent 11 seconds. That afternoon stays small with a 5.6ft west-northwest swell, but the wind turns cross-on, so it’s not doing that wave quality any favours.

Now here’s a nice little window on Monday the 14th. That morning the swell drops right back to 3.3ft from the north-northwest, but it’s clean with a cross-off breeze. The real standout is Monday afternoon: glassy, calm conditions, with a 3.0ft north-northwest swell. The combined energy is low at 456, but when it goes glassy like that, and the break is a clean reef, you know it’s going to be clean, fun little waves. That’s your best session of the first week for anyone wanting real quality.

Tuesday the 15th is no good – fresh cross-shore winds messing up an okay swell. Wednesday and Thursday keep that frustrating trend: plenty of swell (up to 7.5ft and 11.5ft), but wind directions are all wrong, creating chop and cross-chop. It’s not surfable with any joy.

Then things get interesting again. On Friday the 18th, we get a big bump – 13.1ft from the west-northwest with a 13-second period and clean cross-off wind. That’s a lot of water moving (combined energy of 5097), but 13.1ft on a reef is expert territory only. The afternoon holds at 9.8ft, still clean. That Saturday the 19th afternoon is a highlight: 8.2ft from the west, now a light offshore from the south making it clean and lined-up. The guidance says S offshore, which is spot on for The Cove, and the combined energy hits 1620. That’s excellent for an intermediate surfer looking for a proper wave.

Sunday the 20th brings a monster – 16.4ft swell from the west-northwest with a 14-second period, but gale-force winds at 43 mph make it a no-go. Literally dangerous. That run of big, windy swell continues into Monday, and Tuesday morning is another big one (13.1ft, 14 seconds, 6015 combined energy) but this time with a fresh offshore from the south. That’s a heavy, powerful wave only for the brave and very skilled. Crowds at The Cove are listed as “sometimes,” so you might get it mostly to yourself on those days if you’re hardcore.

The last few days of the window have a couple of promising clean windows, especially the afternoon of the 24th with a 7.5ft west-northwest swell and a light offshore, and then the Friday the 25th morning looks brilliant: 6.2ft from the north-northwest, 12-second period, light cross-off breeze from the east-southeast, combined energy at 1274. Clean, manageable, and perfect for a solid reef session.

Water temperature is around average for this time of year – no big anomaly – so just your usual wetsuit thickness.

There are a few gaps with no good surf here – mostly mid-week when the wind is against us, but overall The Cove offers up some true standouts: Monday afternoon the 14th for the glassy clean low-tide style, and Saturday afternoon the 19th for proper offshore perfection. If you can handle the size, Tuesday morning the 22nd is an epic, powerful beast.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat morning, calm by Mon afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Tue night, light winds from the SW by Wed afternoon).

Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
4
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
WNW
13
3.5
WNW
13
2.5
WNW
12
2
WNW
11
1.7
WNW
10
1.3
WNW
10
1
NNW
12
0.9
NNW
12
1.1
W
11
1.8
W
11
1.1
W
10
2
WNW
9
1.4
W
9
1.5
W
10
1.4
W
9
2.3
W
9
3.5
W
13
4.5
WNW
14
4
WNW
13
3
WNW
12
2.4
W
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2377
3589
1881
920
596
329
308
232
272
714
233
666
311
431
332
842
3770
7641
5091
3192
1616
Wind (km/h)
35
SW
40
W
20
W
15
WSW
5
NNW
15
SSE
20
SSW
0
S
15
SSE
30
W
30
WSW
35
NW
25
WNW
20
W
25
S
35
WSW
35
W
35
W
35
WSW
35
WSW
35
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
10:12AM5.01m
10:14PM5.32m
10:45AM4.94m
10:49PM5.21m
11:16AM4.81m
11:23PM5.00m
11:47AM4.64m
11:58PM4.71m
12:19PM4.44m
00:35AM4.38m
12:56PM4.22m
1:21AM4.04m
1:43PM4.00m
2:27AM3.75m
Low Tide
4:05PM1.28m
4:31AM0.90m
4:40PM1.32m
5:06AM1.09m
5:15PM1.44m
5:39AM1.36m
5:50PM1.64m
6:12AM1.69m
6:27PM1.89m
6:47AM2.04m
7:09PM2.16m
7:27AM2.38m
8:04PM2.43m
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:37
6:39
6:41
6:43
6:46
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:44
7:40
7:38
7:36
7:32
7:30
7:27
 mm
3
2
4
1
2
1
3
4
Temp °C
15
14
11
13
14
14
17
16
15
14
13
11
11
12
12
13
13
12
13
14
13
Feels °C
9
7
6
10
12
10
16
17
13
9
8
3
5
7
7
5
5
5
7
7
7
  • 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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