Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,833 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s 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 26) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, looking at The Cove forecast for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a rough patch. The first half of the outlook has some size, but the wind is a killer. The second half just fades out into flatness. There’s a solid 6-day gap with no real surf from the end of July into early August.
It kicks off on Tuesday, 21 July with a 8ft WNW swell, but it’s a short 8-second period and a stiff 25 mph crosswind making a mess. Not worth it. The next few days stay similar: 6ft to 8ft, but the wind stays cross or cross-on, and the water is a chilly 55°, about average for the year. Swell energy is moderate, hitting numbers between 260 and 869.
The one real standout is Sunday morning, 26 July. The swell drops to 4ft out of the WNW, but the period bumps to 10 seconds, and we get a light offshore breeze from the SSE at 9 mph. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the cleanest window of the whole run. The Cove is a reef break, fairly consistent, and intermediate level. It can get crowded sometimes, but with that glassy offshore wind, it’s the call. The swell energy is still moderate (518).
Monday, 27 July, brings a bigger pulse of 10ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, but the wind is cross-offshore and the combined energy hits 1914, which is strong. That’s expert-only territory, and the conditions are still just marginal. The rest of the week stays between 5ft and 7ft, mostly cross-shore breezes, nothing clean.
From 31 July onward, the swell drops hard. 3ft, then 2ft, with weak energy numbers under 125. The 31 July afternoon has a glassy 3ft wave, but it’s tiny. After that, it’s flat or near flat with onshore gales.
So, the pick of the fortnight is that Sunday morning, 26 July. Get in the water early, enjoy the clean 4ft lines at The Cove before the wind turns.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 636 | 664 | 383 | 237 | 231 | 188 | 411 | 645 | 812 | 868 | 773 | 755 | 706 | 471 | 322 | 287 | 777 | 1833 | 1275 | 778 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | on | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:57AM4.31m | 3:51PM3.98m | 4:00AM4.08m | 4:54PM3.95m | 5:13AM3.94m | 6:01PM4.00m | 6:29AM3.92m | 7:01PM4.14m | 7:34AM4.01m | 7:51PM4.32m | 8:24AM4.15m | 8:32PM4.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:40PM2.34m | 9:27AM2.09m | 9:49PM2.49m | 10:35AM2.28m | 11:12PM2.51m | 11:45AM2.35m | 00:26AM2.39m | 12:46PM2.31m | 1:24AM2.19m | 1:36PM2.21m | 2:10AM1.96m | 2:18PM2.06m | 2:49AM1.76m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | — | 4:41 | — | — | 4:43 | — | — | 4:46 | — | — | 4:48 | — | — | 4:50 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — |
 | — | 10:00 | — | — | 9:58 | — | — | 9:55 | — | — | 9:53 | — | — | 9:52 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 4 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 |
| kJ | 12 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 23 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 755 | 706 | 471 | 322 | 226 | 108 | 81 | 83 | 59 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 9 | N 10 | N 10 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 196 | 231 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 636 | 664 | 383 | 237 | 231 | 188 | 411 | 645 | 812 | 868 | 773 | — | — | — | — | 287 | 777 | 1833 | 1275 | 778 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 843 | 453 | 311 | 601 | 63 | 363 | 34 | 422 | 842 | 759 | 421 | 34 | 183 | 7 | 0 | 370 | 593 | 143 | 34 | 7 |
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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