The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 24 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.0° C
0.1° 

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 24 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 2,967 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period with NNW 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 (Jul 27) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 10s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Mon 27th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 10s
Best Surf 4AM (Mon 27th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 10s
Most Powerful10AM (Sat 25th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

To be straight with you, this 16-day window is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some real size coming, but the wind is going to be a problem for most of it. The only spot worth talking about, and the one true standout, is The Cove. It’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it needs a clean window. The first couple of days are a write-off due to strong winds, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

The real action kicks off on the morning of Friday, 24 July. We’re looking at a solid 10 ft swell from the W, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a strong 1188, so there's plenty of push. However, it’s blowing a strong 25 mph cross-offshore from the WSW. It’s clean, but that wind is howling. The water temp is 55°, which is about average for this time of year, so a normal 4/3 wetsuit is the call.

Saturday, 25 July, is a no-go. The swell jumps to 13 ft from the WNW, which is too big for most, and the wind is a strong 28 mph cross-on. It’s messy and dangerous. The swell drops a little on Sunday, 26 July, but it’s still cross-on with a moderate breeze, making for lumpy, poor surf.

Now, things start to turn around on Monday, 27 July. The morning has a clean 6 ft swell from the NNW with a light cross-off breeze from the WSW. The energy is still moderate at 958. It’s marginal, but it’s your first real chance for a paddle.

The standout window arrives on Tuesday, 28 July. This is it. The morning brings a clean 4 ft swell from the N with a gentle 9 mph cross-off breeze from the SW. It’s clean and the combined energy is 366. The afternoon is almost identical with a 4 ft swell from the W. This is the best on offer: clean, manageable waves, and a gentle breeze. The Cove should be working beautifully. Mention it now, because after this, it gets iffy.

From Wednesday, 29 July, the swell drops off dramatically. We’re talking 3 ft or less for days, with poor conditions and onshore winds. There’s a long gap of small, ordinary surf until the morning of Sunday, 2 August. We get a glassy 2 ft swell from the NNW, but it’s tiny and the energy is weak at 52. There are a few clean, cross-off mornings from 4 August (2 ft) and 5 August (6 ft, but the energy is still moderate at 361), but the swell is inconsistent and the quality isn’t there.

The second week is grim. The swell tries to build again around 6 August, with a 12 ft monster from the NW on the Thursday afternoon, but it’s hammered by a strong cross-on wind and it’s accompanied by rain. Definitely not one for the log. The trend continues with strong onshores and messy surf right through to the end of the forecast on 8 August. The swell stays lumpy, wind-blown, and unappealing.

Overall, you’re looking at one solid, clean day on Tuesday, 28 July. Get out there in the morning. The rest is either too windy, too small, or too messy to get excited about. It’s a long run of poor quality. The Cove can handle a bit of push, but it needs that offshore wind.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri night, light winds from the SSW by Sun night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu morning).

Fri
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
1
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
W
9
3
W
9
4
WNW
10
3.5
WNW
10
2.3
WNW
10
1.7
WNW
10
2.2
NW
10
1.9
NNW
10
1.8
NNW
10
1.4
NNW
10
1.3
W
10
1.1
N
9
1.2
W
9
1.1
W
9
0.8
W
8
0.7
W
8
0.9
W
8
1
W
8
1.1
W
8
0.9
W
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1187
1556
2967
2314
1087
610
906
678
612
370
319
190
235
188
92
68
105
116
146
100
Wind (km/h)
40
WSW
45
WSW
45
WNW
40
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
30
WNW
20
WNW
25
WSW
25
W
10
SSE
15
SW
15
SW
10
SSW
20
W
30
WSW
25
SW
30
WSW
20
W
15
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
6:01PM4.00m
6:29AM3.92m
7:01PM4.14m
7:34AM4.01m
7:51PM4.32m
8:24AM4.15m
8:32PM4.50m
9:05AM4.29m
9:09PM4.66m
9:40AM4.43m
9:42PM4.80m
10:12AM4.53m
10:14PM4.89m
Low Tide
00:26AM2.39m
12:46PM2.31m
1:24AM2.19m
1:36PM2.21m
2:10AM1.96m
2:18PM2.06m
2:49AM1.76m
2:55PM1.92m
3:24AM1.58m
3:30PM1.78m
3:58AM1.44m
4:04PM1.69m
light rain
light rain
clear
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
4:48
4:50
4:52
4:54
4:56
4:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:53
9:52
9:50
9:47
9:45
9:44
9:42
 mm
1
2
1
2
Temp °C
15
15
13
14
13
13
13
11
15
15
15
17
19
18
17
18
14
15
15
13
Feels °C
8
6
4
6
7
7
7
6
9
11
13
15
17
15
12
12
9
9
10
10
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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