The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.8°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 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 12s period, W swell with 12,407 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 6.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Fri 4th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 11s
Best Surf10PM (Mon 7th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 10s
Most Powerful 4PM (Tue 8th Sep)21ft (6.5m) 12s

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 shaping up for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.

First off, this is a reef break that's exposed to the swell and likes it from the NW. We've got a fair run of surf coming through, but honestly, it's going to be a bit of a mixed bag with the wind playing games. The combined swell energy (731) is moderate to kick things off.

Friday, September 4th is a write-off for any decent session. A fresh breeze is howling, and conditions are just ugly, with the swell jumping up to 6ft. Don't bother.

Saturday, September 5th isn't much better. The swell hangs in there around 10ft, but the wind stays cross-shore, leaving the surface lumpy and chopped up. We're looking at poor conditions all day.

Things start to look a little more promising by Sunday, September 6th. The swell drops right back – only 3ft in the morning and 3ft in the afternoon. But the wind goes light offshore or cross-offshore. The combined energy is weak (233-131), so it's tiny, but at least it's clean. For a patient soul on a longboard, there could be a few little ones.

Monday, September 7th sees a bit more size, around 6ft, but the wind is still a bit messy. The morning is cleaner with a cross-offshore breeze, but it's a fresh breeze, so it's not perfect. The afternoon cleans up a bit more. It's still marginal.

Tuesday, September 8th is where we get one of the few standouts in this window. The morning has 8ft of swell from the west, with a long 11-second period, meaning proper groundswell energy (1269). The wind is cross-offshore and the waves are described as clean. This is your best chance for a decent session over the next week. The afternoon, however, goes straight to hell with a 21ft monster and strong cross-shore winds. Stay out of the water then unless you're a pro tow-in team.

The rest of that week into the second is pretty average. Thursday, September 10th has a tiny 3ft clean wave, but the energy is super weak (82-91). Friday, September 11th through Saturday, September 12th brings onshore winds and lumpy, messy surf with solid size (8ft to 13ft) – that's one for the experts only, and even then, it'll be ugly.

We get a *maybe* on Sunday, September 13th. The morning shows 8ft from the WNW with a long 11-second period (combined energy 1599) and clean conditions under a cross-offshore breeze. That's a promising combination, but it's a long-range call, so don't book your flights just yet. It's the only real standout in the second week, but it looks much better than what's around it. After that, it's either too windy, too small, or both, with clean but tiny waves from the 16th onward, finishing off with a weak 3ft surf on Friday, September 18th.

If you're after the best of the bunch, Tuesday morning, September 8th is your safest bet for some proper waves, and Sunday morning, September 13th is the one to watch for the long haul.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Tue night, moderate winds from the W by Wed afternoon).

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
0
1
2
1
1
1
0
1
3
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
W
10
4.5
W
10
3.5
W
9
3
WNW
8
2.5
WNW
10
1.7
WNW
9
0.9
W
9
0.8
W
8
0.8
W
9
1.7
W
7
1.7
W
9
2.5
W
11
2.4
W
11
6.5
W
12
3.5
WNW
11
2.3
WNW
10
1.7
WNW
9
1.1
WNW
8
0.8
W
8
0.8
W
8
1.8
W
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
700
4114
2308
1231
1201
446
117
86
106
290
461
1606
1269
12407
2872
1019
464
171
78
88
243
Wind (km/h)
30
SSW
55
W
45
WNW
35
WNW
25
W
10
S
20
SSE
20
S
20
SSE
35
WSW
30
WSW
20
SW
35
WSW
40
W
45
WNW
35
WNW
25
W
15
SW
10
SE
10
SE
20
WSW
Wind State
off
cross
cross
cross
cross
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:10PM4.17m
2:47AM4.12m
3:31PM4.04m
4:29AM4.01m
5:06PM4.09m
6:11AM4.14m
6:28PM4.33m
7:23AM4.42m
7:29PM4.65m
8:16AM4.69m
8:17PM4.95m
9:00AM4.89m
9:00PM5.19m
Low Tide
7:57AM2.02m
8:29PM2.21m
9:12AM2.31m
10:04PM2.29m
10:53AM2.41m
11:44PM2.10m
12:19PM2.25m
00:56AM1.73m
1:20PM1.99m
1:50AM1.36m
2:08PM1.71m
2:35AM1.05m
2:50PM1.49m
3:16AM0.87m
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:20
6:22
6:24
6:26
6:28
6:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:07
8:05
8:01
7:59
7:55
7:52
7:50
 mm
1
2
5
9
1
1
2
3
1
11
Temp °C
14
13
12
13
14
13
13
17
16
14
15
13
13
12
12
12
13
12
14
14
13
Feels °C
5
2
2
6
8
10
10
14
13
7
8
8
6
4
2
5
8
9
11
12
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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