Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with 899 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for The Cove.
First up, the water's sitting at 57°F – that’s pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
Honestly, the next week and a half is a tough stretch. We’ve got a long, dry run with very little to get excited about. From Tuesday the 25th right through to the end of the month, it’s mostly small, weak swell with a combined energy that barely gets off the ground (29 to 312) and cross-off or onshore winds. There’s a tiny pulse on the 30th (Sunday) with 5ft from the north and a bit more energy (310), but the wind is light cross-onshore, keeping it average at best. The Cove is a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the NW, so it needs a bit of direction love, and it’s just not getting it.
The real story is way out there on Thursday, September 3rd. That’s the standout. Morning sees a solid 13ft groundswell from the west, with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 3323 – that’s strong energy. Winds are light cross-off from the WSW, meaning it’ll be clean. This is serious, powerful reef surf. By the afternoon, it jumps to a massive 16ft from the WNW, period stretching to 11 seconds, and combined energy hitting 6480 – that’s exceptional power. The wind stays light cross-off. This is expert territory only. The Cove is a reef, so it will handle that long-period energy well, but expect heavy, demanding waves. For the average surfer, it’s a watch-and-worship day.
The swell holds into Friday the 4th, with 12ft from the NW in the morning (energy 2804) and a cleaner 7ft from the NNW in the afternoon (energy 1525), but the wind kicks up to a fresh breeze, making it a bit more of a handful and less perfect. Saturday the 5th is still fun, dropping to 4ft from the NNW with glassy morning winds and a combined energy of 397 – more manageable, but much smaller.
If you’re an expert with a big-wave board and a lot of respect, the 3rd of September is the one. For everyone else, you’re looking at a long wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat night, calm by Sun night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | NE 4 | N 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 10 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 146 | 50 | 29 | 12 | 22 | 67 | 57 | 35 | 38 | 17 | 48 | 197 | 577 | 517 | 452 | 288 | 146 | 89 | 838 | 502 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | 9:14AM4.57m | 9:16PM4.89m | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | 10:42AM4.84m | 10:47PM5.13m | 11:13AM4.82m | 11:19PM5.06m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | 4:35AM1.10m | 4:44PM1.40m | 5:08AM1.12m | 5:17PM1.45m | ||||||||
 |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | 8:36 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 7 | E 7 | E 6 | W 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 10 | W 9 |
| kJ | 146 | 50 | 29 | 12 | 22 | 67 | 57 | 35 | 19 | 103 | 49 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 288 | 146 | 89 | 838 | 502 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | — | — | WNW 7 | W 7 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | W 8 | N 5 | NNE 6 | N 8 | N 8 | — | E 6 | W 8 | WNW 6 | W 8 | N 8 | N 9 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 51 | 38 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | N 6 | N 8 | W 7 | N 8 | — | — | — | N 12 | — | W 8 | WNW 6 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 5 | 4 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | E 7 | NE 4 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | W 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 15 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 38 | — | 48 | 197 | 577 | 517 | 452 | — | — | 16 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 34 | 34 | 170 | 170 | 34 | 9 | 17 | 171 | 171 | 214 | 186 | 32 | 63 | 538 | 479 | 183 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Cove surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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