Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, W swell with 3,942 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 3.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break down what’s cooking at The Cove over the next couple weeks. Water temp is around 55°F with an anomaly of just 1°F, so pretty average for late summer – no wetsuit issues.
The first week is mostly flat and rubbish. From Sunday August 30th through Tuesday September 1st, the swell is tiny and winds are all over the place – not worth paddling out. We finally see a pulse on Wednesday September 2nd: 1.7m (6ft) north swell with a light easterly cross-off breeze, clean but only marginal – combined energy is 547 (moderate). That’s your first real chance, but don’t expect much.
Thursday September 3rd gets bigger: 2.4m (8ft) west swell, 11-second period, combined energy 1476 (strong), but with a strong cross-off wind from WSW. The length of period means it’ll be lined up at this reef, but the wind will make it bumpy.
Friday September 4th is huge – 3.0m (10ft) WNW swell, 12-second period, combined energy 2472 (very strong) – that’s expert-only territory with strong cross-off wind. Not the cleanest.
The real standout is Monday September 14th. Monday morning brings 1.9m (6ft) north swell with a gentle southerly cross-off breeze – clean, combined energy 629 (moderate). That’s waist-to-chest high, well-shaped, and the reef will handle it. Optimum swell direction for The Cove is NW, north is close enough. Crowds are only sometimes, so you might have a few out but it’ll be fine.
Monday afternoon goes glassy – 1.4m (5ft) north swell with dead calm, combined energy 335 (moderate). Could be some fun little waves if you’re quick.
Also note: Saturday September 12th morning shows 3.5m (12ft) WNW swell, 9-second period, combined energy 1981 (very strong) – massive but short period, so it’ll be a thick and heavy. Only for experts, and the moderate cross-off wind will keep it bumpy.
Overall, the middle of the second week looks like the best bet. Keep an eye on that Monday.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue morning, calm by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed night, near gales from the NW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | N 6 | W 4 | NW 7 | W 9 | W 6 | WNW 6 | NNW 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | W 11 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 46 | 63 | 26 | 143 | 191 | 542 | 618 | 332 | 201 | 123 | 639 | 1144 | 3942 | 2013 | 1299 | 909 | 559 | 176 | 165 | 442 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:31PM4.04m | 4:29AM4.01m | 5:06PM4.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:12AM2.31m | 10:04PM2.29m | 10:53AM2.41m | 11:44PM2.10m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  |  | | |  | |  | | |  |  | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:01 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 19 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | NW 7 | W 6 | N 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | W 12 | N 8 | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 11 |
| kJ | 20 | 12 | 63 | 22 | 24 | 12 | 542 | 618 | 332 | 201 | 123 | 66 | 1144 | 11 | — | — | — | 559 | 176 | 165 | 442 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | N 9 | WSW 6 | NW 6 | — | N 13 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 17 | W 18 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 |
| kJ | 14 | 2 | 53 | 20 | — | 3 | 80 | 45 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 66 | 31 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 22 | 26 | 27 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | — | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | NNW 11 | — | NNW 10 | W 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 9 | — | 31 | 26 | — | — | 40 | — | 20 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 4 | — | SSW 4 | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | SE 4 | W 6 | W 6 | W 11 | S 4 | W 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | SSE 4 | S 4 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | — | 46 | — | 16 | 143 | 191 | — | — | 31 | 105 | 109 | 639 | 36 | 3942 | 2013 | 1299 | 909 | — | 29 | 9 | 15 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 26 | 21 | 593 | 7 | 593 | 593 | 87 | 0 | 34 | 7 | 621 | 421 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 608 | 756 | 776 | 345 | 0 | 10 |
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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