Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, W swell with 260 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s 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 (Jul 12) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s. 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 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for The Cove.
It’s a quiet start. We’ve got some small, weak surf rolling in Saturday the 11th, but the wind is messy and the overall vibe is poor. You’re better off waiting. Sunday the 12th is cleaner but the swell really drops off, barely a ripple with wave energy in the doldrums (66 to 49). From Monday the 13th through to the early part of the following week, we’re in a real flat spell. Nothing worth paddling out for.
Things finally get a pulse around Tuesday the 14th. A longer period groundswell (12 seconds) shows up from the WNW, pushing energy up to 216. Swell height is only around 2 ft, but that cleaner period and cross-off wind make it look more surfable. It’s not a standout, though. The real glimmer comes on Sunday the 20th. Monday morning the 20th, we see a window of 4 ft swell from the north with the wind dropping to glass. Absolute calm – that’ll be clean as a whistle. Wave energy is moderate at 277. This is the best on offer for the first week-plus. Then we take a hit with strong, lumpy WNW winds through the 18th and 19th – that period is a write-off with messy, onshore junk. On the 19th, the swell spikes to 8 ft from the NNW but it’s accompanied by a strong onshore breeze (25 mph) and energy readings over 800. That’s raw, powerful, chunky – mostly for experts, but the wind is so messy it ruins it.
Further out, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th shows a promising shift. On Saturday the 25th, we get some size – 6 ft from the NE – but the wind is cross-off, so the surface stays clean even though it’s a bit chunky. The real highlight of the whole outlook lands on Sunday the 26th morning. That’s the day to circle. We’ve got 4 ft of north swell and glassy conditions again. Absolutely flat calm. Energy sits at 208. That will be pure, clean reef waves with no chop. The Cove is an exposed reef (optimum swell from NW), so north swell wraps in nicely. Crowds *sometimes* show up, so there’s a chance you’ll have it quiet if you’re early.
Water temperature is sitting at 55°F, which is about normal for this time of year. No anomaly to speak of.
So to wrap it up – nothing worth chasing for the next week, but hold out for the morning of Sunday the 26th at The Cove. That's the standout. The Monday the 20th is also close behind with quality glass, but the 26th just edges it on overall forecast consistency and cleaner period.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 267 | 203 | 129 | 64 | 43 | 28 | 37 | 33 | 64 | 113 | 242 | 125 | 63 | 39 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 24 | 50 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | 8:36PM4.92m | 9:14AM4.82m | 9:27PM5.10m | 10:07AM4.91m | 10:14PM5.21m | 10:57AM4.92m | 10:59PM5.25m | 11:45AM4.85m | 11:44PM5.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | 2:27PM1.53m | 2:58AM1.22m | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | 4:03PM1.40m | 4:34AM0.87m | 4:47PM1.44m | 5:20AM0.88m | 5:31PM1.54m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | — | — | 10:13 | — | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 |
| kJ | 267 | 203 | 129 | 64 | 43 | 28 | 37 | 33 | 64 | 96 | 242 | 125 | 63 | 39 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 50 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNW 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | W 14 | WNW 12 | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | WNW 11 | ESE 2 |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 113 | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 7 | — | W 21 | W 15 | E 7 | W 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | N 8 | N 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | 4 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 2 | — | — | E 3 | ESE 2 | ESE 2 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 3 | E 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | E 3 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 176 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 59 | 176 | 176 | 864 | 186 | 369 | 17 | 51 |
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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