The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.6°C
1.0° 

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 14 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 14s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 14s period, WNW swell with 16,160 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s period with NNW 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 (Sep 14) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m 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 6.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Mon 14th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 12s
Best Surf 1PM (Sun 20th Sep)21ft (6.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 20th Sep)21ft (6.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for us.

Overall, it's a bit of a mixed bag. We've got a solid run of surf on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character for a lot of it, making things tricky. The first real window of opportunity is a short one, then we get a big pulse of energy that's more for the experienced crew, followed by a cleaner, smaller spell right at the end.

We start off on Sunday the 13th with some energy in the water – a 6ft swell from the WNW (combined energy of 777) – but a crosswind out of the WNW at 6 mph is going to mess with the surface. It's a no-go for a decent session.

Monday the 14th is your best bet early on. The morning brings a smaller 3ft swell from the NNW, but the real story is the clean, offshore wind from the south at 12 mph. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it's not bad. That combo of offshore wind and a clean surface makes for a good session, especially if you've got a log or a fish. The afternoon stays clean too, with a 4ft swell from the west. This is the standout of the first week. Get on it.

Things go south from Tuesday the 15th. The wind swings onshore and cranks up, turning the 6ft swell into a lumpy mess. The same story carries through Wednesday and Thursday with bigger swell but poor, choppy conditions. By Friday the 18th, we've got a serious pulse of energy hitting – a 13ft WNW groundswell with a long 14-second period and combined energy readings over 6000. That is a lot of power. But with the wind howling, it's going to be a washing machine out there. This is only for the experts, and even then, the quality is going to be poor.

The weekend of the 20th and 21st is just huge and ugly. We're looking at 18ft to 20ft swells and gale-force winds. The combined energy is hitting five-digit numbers (9520 and 12661). That's not surf; that's a survival mission.

Monday the 21st is interesting. The swell drops to a still-chunky 15ft from the WNW, but the wind backs right off. It's still a bit messy, but the energy is there. The water's still that same 57°. It's worth a look if you've got the boat and the balls, but it's a long way from perfect.

After that, the energy fades. There's a couple of days of messy, blown-out leftovers in the 4ft to 6ft range.

Now, for the true standout of the whole forecast: Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th. This is where it all comes together. On Friday morning, we get a clean 3ft swell from the WNW with a lovely offshore breeze from the SSE at 9 mph. It's clean, it's rideable, and the crowd factor is only *sometimes*, so you might get a few waves to yourself. Then Saturday morning the 26th is the absolute cherry on top. Glassy conditions with a tiny 2ft swell from the west, but with a very long 13-second period. That's a groundswell with real push for its size. It will be clean, lined up, and perfect for a point break or reef. The water is still that comfortable 57°.

So, to sum it up: hit Monday the 14th for the cleanest early window, and mark your calendar for Saturday the 26th for the glassy, long-period gem. Everything in between is either blown out or for the hardcore crew only.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Fri afternoon, near gales from the W by Sat afternoon).

Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
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
2
2
1
0
0
0
3
1
1
2
0
5
3
2
1
0
0
0
!
8
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
NNW
12
1.3
W
9
1.1
W
10
1.5
W
11
1
W
10
1.6
NNW
6
1.3
W
12
1.4
W
11
1.2
W
9
1.9
W
9
2.5
W
11
4
W
14
4.5
WNW
14
4
WNW
13
2.4
WNW
12
2.1
W
11
3
W
8
4.5
W
10
6.5
WNW
13
6.5
WNW
14
5
WNW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
254
274
252
505
192
171
476
452
251
588
1397
6798
7919
4586
1487
1018
936
4564
14000
16160
9471
Wind (km/h)
15
S
15
S
15
SW
25
WSW
25
WNW
35
NW
30
NW
10
WSW
30
SSE
30
SW
35
SW
40
W
30
W
30
WSW
30
WSW
40
WSW
55
W
50
WSW
55
W
50
W
20
WSW
Wind State
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
11:16AM4.81m
11:23PM5.00m
11:47AM4.64m
11:58PM4.71m
12:19PM4.44m
00:35AM4.38m
12:56PM4.22m
1:21AM4.04m
1:43PM4.00m
2:27AM3.75m
2:54PM3.82m
4:08AM3.61m
4:32PM3.79m
Low Tide
5:06AM1.09m
5:15PM1.44m
5:39AM1.36m
5:50PM1.64m
6:12AM1.69m
6:27PM1.89m
6:47AM2.04m
7:09PM2.16m
7:27AM2.38m
8:04PM2.43m
8:25AM2.67m
9:34PM2.60m
10:12AM2.82m
11:27PM2.52m
light rain
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:41
6:43
6:46
6:48
6:50
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:38
7:36
7:32
7:30
7:27
7:23
7:21
 mm
1
2
13
4
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
Temp °C
15
16
15
14
14
11
10
12
12
13
12
12
13
14
14
12
11
11
12
12
11
Feels °C
12
15
13
9
9
6
3
9
8
6
5
4
7
8
9
3
-1
0
1
2
5
  • 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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