The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 29 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.9°C
0.8° 

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 29 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, W swell with 1,033 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 4AM (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 31) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 1.7m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Mon 31st Aug)2ft (0.6m) 7s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 2nd Sep)7ft (2.1m) 9s
Most Powerful 4AM (Fri 4th Sep)5.5ft (1.7m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s break down what’s brewing over the next couple weeks. The opening weekend is basically a write-off, so don’t feel bad about sitting it out. The real payoff comes into focus around the second week of September, so plan around that.

From Saturday, August 29th, through Sunday, August 30th, The Cove (a reef setup) is not doing anything worth paddling for. Swell is tiny—1.0 to 1 feet—coming from the north and northwest, but the period is short and weak, only around 5 to 7 seconds. Combined wave energy is pitiful, reading between 54 and 96. Winds are onshore or sideshore, making for messy, poor surf.

Monday, August 31st is no different—small, weak, and not worth your time. Tuesday, September 1st, has a morning offshore breeze but the swell is only 0.6 feet from the northwest, hardly enough to get you up. The afternoon blows up with a massive 13-foot west swell and a 9-second period, but the wind is a near-gale from the west sideshore. There’s a lot of energy (2744) but it’s just a mess—more for kiting than surfing.

Wednesday, September 2nd, and Thursday, September 3rd, are borderline. On the 2nd, you get a clean 3-foot northwest swell with moderate energy (988) and cross-offshore wind, but it’s not clean enough to be a standout. Thursday has heavy rain and gale-force winds—just skip it.

Now pay attention to Friday, September 4th. The morning at The Cove is where the magic happens. A solid 10-foot west groundswell rolls in with a nice 12-second period and very strong wave energy of 3098. And the wind? Dead calm and glassy from the southwest. That’s pristine for a reef break. This is a big-wave session for experienced surfers only—well over 8 feet. After lunch the wind shifts, so get on it early.

Saturday, September 5th, and Sunday, September 6th, are smaller and less interesting. Not a priority.

Monday, September 7th brings another major pulse. The morning shows a giant 20-foot swell from the west-northwest with a 12-second period and extreme energy of 9539. However, the wind is cross-onshore and moderate, so it’s raw, lumpy, and very heavy. Definitely only for experts, but the afternoon rating is slightly better at a score of 6. Keep an eye if you’re a big-wave specialist.

Tuesday, September 8th, has a 16-foot northwest swell with clean cross-offshore winds in the morning. Again, absolutely massive, expert territory. Energy is very strong at 6385.

The swell drops off hard Wednesday, September 9th, and Thursday, September 10th. The morning of the 10th has a glassy 2-foot west swell—clean but small.

Now, Friday, September 11th is your other big standout. The morning session serves up a 13-foot west swell at 9 seconds, with cross-offshore winds and strong energy of 2413. The afternoon gets even better: the same west swell stretches out to a 12-second period, and the breeze lightens to a gentle 6 mph offshore-ish wind from the southeast. Wave energy jumps to 4292. This is excellent quality and size for experienced surfers. The west direction is perfect for The Cove.

Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th drop back to 3-foot and 1-foot swells, with rougher winds and not much punch.

Bottom line: your top two sessions are Friday morning, September 4th, and the afternoon of Friday, September 11th. The 4th offers absolute glassy perfection on a solid 10-foot swell. The 11th gives slightly bigger, cleaner, longer-period waves. Don’t miss the 4th.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Mon morning, strong winds from the WSW by Tue morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon).

Sat
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
NNW
7
1.3
N
7
0.9
N
7
0.8
N
7
0.6
N
7
0.5
N
6
0.5
W
9
1.4
W
7
1.6
WNW
6
1.6
WNW
6
1.9
NNW
9
1.9
N
10
1.6
N
10
1.3
N
10
1.4
WSW
7
1.1
W
8
1.6
W
13
1.4
W
13
1.2
W
12
2.1
NNW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
131
163
73
56
33
20
39
183
176
171
506
740
510
315
208
138
878
643
416
520
Wind (km/h)
20
NNE
10
ENE
15
E
20
ESE
20
ESE
10
SSW
35
W
20
S
45
WSW
30
WNW
15
W
30
SE
15
S
30
SW
30
SW
40
SW
25
WNW
30
NNW
30
NW
10
WNW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
10:16PM5.11m
10:42AM4.84m
10:47PM5.13m
11:13AM4.82m
11:19PM5.06m
11:47AM4.72m
11:55PM4.92m
12:25PM4.57m
00:38AM4.69m
1:11PM4.38m
1:32AM4.40m
2:10PM4.17m
2:47AM4.12m
Low Tide
4:11PM1.43m
4:35AM1.10m
4:44PM1.40m
5:08AM1.12m
5:17PM1.45m
5:43AM1.23m
5:54PM1.57m
6:21AM1.42m
6:34PM1.76m
7:04AM1.70m
7:23PM1.99m
7:57AM2.02m
8:29PM2.21m
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
thunderstorm
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:07
6:09
6:11
6:13
6:16
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:23
8:22
8:19
8:15
8:13
8:09
8:07
 mm
1
2
1
3
2
1
3
7
Temp °C
13
12
13
14
13
16
13
14
13
12
10
12
14
14
15
14
13
12
12
11
Feels °C
10
10
10
10
10
14
7
7
4
5
5
6
11
9
8
7
7
6
6
8
  • 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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