
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NW swell with 341 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 8s. 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The upcoming stretch here is a real mixed bag, and I gotta be straight with you—the start is a bit of a flat, messy letdown. We’re looking at a fair few days where you’ll be better off doing something else, but there are a couple of windows that will get the heart pumping. I’m mainly looking at The Cove (Big Island) for this whole run.
First thing you need to know: the water temp is running pretty much average for this time of year, so no drama there, just your usual boardshorts or a light spring suit.
Right off the bat, from the 1st through to the 8th, it’s pretty grim. The swell energy is weak, with the combined readings mostly below 200 and often down in the low double-digits. There’s a bit of WNW and NW swell, but the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and even a bit of cross-off, which at least keeps the surface clean sometimes. But the waves are small and the periods are short, so it's not doing anything for us. A few of those mornings have some clean conditions, but there’s just no power behind it. The 6th is about as flat as it gets, with the swell dropping to 1ft. This whole stretch is a write-off for a proper surf.
We do see a little pulse on the 9th. Sunday morning is still marginal, but by the afternoon, the wind dies right off—we’re talking glassy conditions. The swell is starting to fill in at 4ft from the W with a 9-second period. The energy is still only moderate, but that glassy surface makes all the difference. This is where things start to get interesting.
Then comes the standout. Monday, the 10th, is the day to circle on the calendar. It’s a solid jump in energy all day. Morning has clean cross-off breeze and 6ft of W swell. But the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind goes glassy, and the swell pushes up to 6ft from the W, with a 9-second period. This is going to be proper, lined-up reef waves at The Cove. It’s a fairly consistent spot, and with offshore or glassy conditions and a NW swell direction that matches the setup, this is the one. It’s a bit much for beginners at 6ft, but for the intermediates and up, this is the session to get.
After that, we take a step back. The 11th drops right off, with weak and short-period swell, and the conditions are just ordinary. We then hit another rough patch from the 12th to the 14th. Lots of weak, short-period swell, poor conditions, and then the 14th gets ugly with a strong onshore northerly wind at 28 mph. That’s a hard pass. You might even be thinking this setup looks better for a kite than a paddle board on some of these days with the wind and chop.
But look ahead—there’s one more window that shows promise. Saturday, the 15th, has a strong pulse of W-NW swell. The morning shows 8ft, but with a fresh cross-off breeze at 19 mph. This is serious, powerful swell. The caveat is that if it’s over 8ft, it’s only for experts, and 8ft is borderline. That stronger wind will also make it a bit wild. The period is only 8 seconds too, so it’s not a super clean groundswell. It’ll be big and challenging, not the clean, perfect waves from the 10th. The afternoon gets even windier, so that morning is your only shot.
The 16th fades out again with small, weak swell. So, to sum it up: the 9th afternoon is a good warm-up, Monday the 10th afternoon is the absolute standout for clean, powerful surf, and the 15th is for the brave, offering size but with more wind and a rougher edge.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | N 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
92 | 118 | 147 | 341 | 190 | 326 | 235 | 220 | 136 | 84 | 63 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 44 | 79 | 176 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | 3:55PM4.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:03AM1.31m | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | |||||||
5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | — | N 8 | NNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | W 10 | W 5 | W 9 | WNW 8 |
88 | 118 | 147 | — | 190 | 326 | 235 | 220 | 136 | 84 | 63 | 43 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 79 | 176 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | NNE 6 | W 9 | W 5 | NE 9 |
2 | 2 | 26 | — | 131 | 40 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 44 | 11 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | N 11 | NNE 6 | N 6 | NE 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | — | — | — | SE 2 | SE 4 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | SE 2 | — | SE 4 | W 4 | — | — | — |
92 | 64 | 67 | 341 | — | — | — | 1 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 816 | 832 | 46 | 46 | 158 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 65 | 397 | 34 | 63 | 318 | 948 | 453 | 424 | 778 | 183 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











