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, 7PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, W swell with 5,438 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 1.4m 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 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s 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) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's shaping up. We've got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks, The Cove. It's a reef setup, so expect a proper wave when it's on.
Right now, things are flat out grim. We're looking at a dry spell to kick things off with a few days of practically nothing rideable. From Monday the 31st through to Wednesday the 4th of September, it's a no-go. Small, weak swell with awful wind most of the time. On Monday morning there's a tiny 2ft pulse from the north, but the energy is weak and conditions are just poor. There's a bit of a bump on Tuesday afternoon but the wind is howling onshore. Don't even bother.
The first real sniff of action arrives on Thursday, September the 4th, in the afternoon. But it's a tricky one. The swell jumps to 12ft from the west with massive energy. That's powerful, heavy water. It's way too much for anyone but experts, and even then, the wind is howling at 28 mph from the WSW, so it'll be a blown-out mess. Hard pass.
Now, hold onto your board. The standout window is clear as day: Tuesday the 15th of September. That morning, The Cove will be absolutely pumping. We're looking at a solid 13ft groundswell from the west-northwest, with a long period of 11 seconds and some serious power in the water. And the wind? Gentle breezes, clean and cross-offshore. This is the one. The afternoon gets even bigger, with the swell hitting 13ft from the west and a period of 13 seconds, making it even more powerful. Clean cross-off winds again. This is a pure, powerful, challenging reef wave for experienced surfers only. If you have the skills, this is a no-brainer.
Before that, there are a couple of other windows worth a look, but they come with caveats. On Tuesday the 8th of September, the morning shows 7ft from the west with light offshore winds from the south. Clean, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit weaker and mushier. The afternoon gets stronger at 7ft but the period drops to 7 seconds, still clean with a moderate offshore. Not the standout, but a fun bet if you're desperate.
Then Saturday the 12th of September looks tidy. The morning has 6ft of north swell with a long 12-second period and glassy conditions. The afternoon goes glassy with 5ft north swell. Clean, slow sets. A great day for an intermediate surfer to get a few long ones at a quiet reef.
As we push into the second week, the confidence drops a little, but the big event on the 15th looks promising. Just be aware, the water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year.
So bottom line: suffer through the first week, mark your calendar for Tuesday the 15th of September. That's the big one. Get on it.
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 (calm on Mon morning, strong winds from the NW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WNW on Fri night, light winds from the S by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 6 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | W 7 | W 14 | W 13 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 42 | 94 | 35 | 253 | 245 | 1149 | 1121 | 656 | 235 | 125 | 152 | 1733 | 4242 | 2391 | 1939 | 1245 | 510 | 227 | 69 | 230 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
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 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | W 6 | W 6 | N 8 | N 13 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | W 14 | N 8 | N 8 | — | NNE 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 8 |
20 | 12 | 94 | 35 | 21 | 3 | 1149 | 1121 | 656 | 235 | 125 | 65 | 1733 | 12 | 5 | — | 12 | 510 | 227 | 69 | 230 | |
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 | ESE 5 | W 18 | W 11 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | N 9 | W 8 | NNE 9 |
14 | 2 | 31 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 45 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 35 | 21 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 44 | 47 | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | — | N 6 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 14 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | NW 8 |
1 | — | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 4 | — | S 3 | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | SE 4 | W 5 | W 6 | W 7 | SSW 4 | W 13 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | SE 3 | SSW 3 | SSE 3 |
— | 42 | — | 8 | 253 | 245 | — | — | 10 | 85 | 92 | 152 | 17 | 4242 | 2391 | 1939 | 1245 | — | 6 | 4 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 593 | 0 | 593 | 593 | 311 | 46 | 9 | 9 | 345 | 7 | 7 | 899 | 621 | 759 | 412 | 278 | 9 | 28 | 7 | 422 |
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.











