Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, W swell with 300 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with N 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 17) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 1.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's cut to the chase. The next couple of weeks at The Cove are looking pretty bleak, to be honest. We've got a lot of small, weak swell and the wind just never seems to play ball. You'll be hanging on the beach more than you'll be in the water. Water temps are sitting at about 57°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year, nothing weird there.
The first few days are a total write-off. Saturday the 15th has a weak 5ft W swell with a short 8-second period and only 333 units of energy, plus a cross-shore wind making it lumpy and uninviting. It’s poor. Sunday and Monday are smaller and still junky. Don't even think about it.
We get a tiny glimmer on the morning of Tuesday the 19th – a gentle offshore wind – but the swell is a pathetic 2ft from the N with a weak 8-second period and just 77 units of energy. It's technically surfable, but you'll be scratching for anything. Same story on Monday the 24th: a clean morning with light cross-offshore winds, but again, only a 2ft N swell. Grovelers only.
Now, here's the one bright spot in the whole 16-day outlook. Circle the morning of Tuesday, August 25th. This is the day things finally come together. We're looking at a 4ft W swell with a 9-second period, and the energy jumps up to a solid 290. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SSE, and the conditions are expected to be good. This is the one to go for. The W direction is exactly what this break wants. It's not huge, but it'll have some power, and the clean conditions will make it feel much better than the numbers suggest. The morning is your window; the afternoon wind picks up and spoils it.
After that, it's back to the flat spell. The rest of that week and into the start of September is small, with poor winds and not much hope. It's a long stretch of nothing from the 26th right through to the end of the month. There's a bit more energy on the 30th, but a fresh onshore wind will just chop it up. Not worth your time.
So, there it is. One decent session on the 25th. It’s not perfect, but it’s all we’ve got. Be patient, pick your moment, and you might just get a few fun ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | W 9 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 309 | 264 | 149 | 91 | 40 | 38 | 41 | 25 | 51 | 35 | 59 | 151 | 192 | 300 | 192 | 169 | 213 | 191 | 147 | 63 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:44PM3.95m | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | 8:23AM2.27m | 8:51PM2.49m | 9:29AM2.54m | 10:25PM2.60m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — |
 | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — |
mm | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNE 7 |
| kJ | 24 | 22 | 26 | 91 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 25 | 51 | 35 | 59 | 151 | 192 | 300 | 192 | 113 | 57 | 22 | 21 | 63 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | E 6 | N 8 | NNE 7 | ESE 4 | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | W 18 |
| kJ | — | 8 | 11 | 42 | 40 | 13 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 15 | 33 | 36 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 10 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NNE 8 | W 8 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 3 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | E 2 | ESE 4 | E 5 | W 4 | — | — | NE 7 | NNE 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 309 | 264 | 149 | — | — | — | 1 | 17 | 47 | 6 | — | — | 51 | 62 | 191 | 169 | 213 | 191 | 147 | 52 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 593 | 34 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 34 | 0 | 63 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 65 | 183 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 291 | 46 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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