Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, WNW swell with 4,877 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for The Cove.
Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a wait. The first real chance to get wet isn't until Tuesday the 8th. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing unusual there.
The standout window is the morning of Saturday the 12th. That's the one to circle on the calendar. We're looking at a solid 12ft swell from the WNW, with a period of 13 seconds – that's a proper groundswell with some serious grunt. The combined energy is pumping at (3920). Now, with that size, this is strictly for the experienced crew; this is not a beginner's wave. The wind is offshore from the S, so it's going to be clean and lined up. The Cove is a reef, so a long-period swell like this tends to handle really well, giving you those proper, heavy walls. It's a fairly consistent break, but you can expect some company as crowds are sometimes an issue here.
The day before, Friday the 11th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has 6ft swell with moderate cross-offshore wind, so it's clean but the wind is a bit strong. The afternoon jumps up to 8ft, but the wind is pumping at 25 mph, which makes it a bit of a wrestle.
Looking back to Tuesday the 8th, the morning session is a good call for the more advanced. 10ft from the W with a clean offshore 16 mph breeze from the S. The energy is high (2476), and it's a solid session for those who can handle it. The afternoon goes to crap with onshore wind, so get your fix in the morning.
Later in the week, the morning of Friday the 18th is worth a mention. It's a bit smaller, 5ft, but the wind goes glassy. That's a rare treat. The swell direction is WNW with a 10-second period, so it's a nice, clean, cruisy wave for a more relaxed session, but still with enough push to have fun.
The following week looks pretty ordinary, to be honest. There's a lot of wind and not much quality. The 22nd of September shows a massive 15ft swell, but with a near-gale cross-shore wind, it's going to be a washing machine. That one is more for the kite surfers than anyone on a paddle board.
Overall, the 12th is the clear winner, but keep your eyes on the 8th and 18th for some solid sessions too.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Mon night, light winds from the W by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the E by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | W 13 | W 11 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 6 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1485 | 3893 | 2476 | 1526 | 1449 | 268 | 225 | 94 | 108 | 204 | 586 | 694 | 1731 | 4877 | 3912 | 2747 | 1226 | 1322 | 1122 | 276 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | |  | |  | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | WNW 10 | — | NNW 8 | N 7 | W 6 | W 7 | W 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | N 11 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 13 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 1485 | 3893 | 2476 | 1526 | — | 226 | 134 | 94 | 108 | 204 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4877 | 3912 | 2747 | 1226 | 121 | 168 | 276 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | — | SE 6 | — | — | NNW 8 | — | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 11 | — | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | NNW 13 | — | — | NNW 12 |
| kJ | 6 | — | 6 | — | — | 23 | — | 48 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 2 | — | 10 | 8 | 7 | 59 | — | — | 179 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 12 | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | NNW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 25 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 5 | — | — | NW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | — | S 4 | S 4 | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 | — | — | NNE 9 | — | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — |
| kJ | — | 74 | — | — | 1449 | 268 | 225 | — | 18 | 10 | 586 | 694 | 1731 | — | — | 8 | — | 1322 | 1122 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 922 | 621 | 0 | 531 | 593 | 183 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 752 | 661 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 35 | 35 | 9 |
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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