
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, W swell with 389 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. 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 1.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, The Cove is your classic exposed reef set-up, and it’s looking like we’ll get a bit of a pulse early on before things go pretty quiet for a long stretch. The opening days are the clear standout here.
Tuesday July 7th kicks off with a decent little push. A 4ft W swell, period around 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, but the energy is there – 264 (combined energy). The morning has a light cross-off ESE breeze at 5 km/h, which is clean. Then it turns proper glassy in the afternoon with zero wind. That afternoon session is going be absolutely silky for an intermediate-level surfer. The water temp anomaly is average for the time of year, so no shock to the system.
Wednesday July 8th is more of a mixed bag. The swell holds around 4ft to 5ft, but the wind swings onshore or cross-shore, which puts a bit of chop on it. Not the clean stuff we had yesterday.
Thursday July 9th morning looks promising again. A clean 4ft W swell, period still 9 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze. That’s a good window. The afternoon gets tricky with onshore NW wind, so I’d be aiming for the early.
After that, from Friday July 10th through to Saturday July 19th, it’s a real long dry spell. The swell drops right away, getting down to 2ft and smaller, and for days on end it’s all “poor surf conditions.” The energy levels fall off a cliff – we’re talking single and double-digit numbers (as low as 14). Winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, just no quality to speak of. That’s about 10 days of very little to get excited about.
There is a flicker of life on Monday July 20th. The swell nudges back up to 3ft from the N, period still short at 8 seconds, but the energy climbs back to 149 (combined energy). The wind is a light cross-off from the ESE, so it’ll be clean. The quality is only described as “surfable but very ordinary”, so it’s not a standout, just a sign that the flat spell might be ending.
That’s the story. The first two and a half days are your best bet – especially Tuesday afternoon – then you’re looking at a long wait until the third week of July for anything rideable again.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu night, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
184 | 159 | 332 | 201 | 334 | 332 | 229 | 351 | 184 | 74 | 388 | 326 | 267 | 199 | 126 | 87 | 60 | 57 | 42 | 42 | 46 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:30PM4.17m | 2:32AM4.42m | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | 4:44AM4.32m | 5:39PM4.30m | 5:57AM4.37m | 6:43PM4.48m | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | 8:36PM4.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:10AM1.79m | 8:23PM2.27m | 9:06AM1.88m | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | 11:26AM1.91m | 00:02AM2.14m | 12:33PM1.81m | 1:08AM1.85m | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | 2:27PM1.53m | 2:58AM1.22m | |||||||
4:16 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:20 | — | — | 4:22 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:20 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:17 | — | — | 10:16 | — | — | 10:15 | — | — | 10:14 | — | — | 10:13 | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | N 7 | W 9 | NNE 6 | W 9 | W 9 | NNE 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 8 |
184 | 159 | 37 | 201 | 14 | 332 | 229 | 31 | 184 | 74 | 388 | 326 | 267 | 199 | 126 | 87 | 60 | 57 | 42 | 42 | 46 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 7 | NNE 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 7 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | W 12 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | N 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | W 21 | — | WNW 13 |
80 | 54 | 7 | 24 | 7 | 8 | 33 | 19 | 17 | 73 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 9 | — | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | — | — | — | NNE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 9 | WNW 5 | W 9 | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 332 | 39 | 334 | — | — | 351 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 63 | 34 | 7 | 34 | 16 | 0 | 207 | 183 | 17 | 34 | 207 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










