Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with 989 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period with WNW 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 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. 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 2.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down The Cove. This reef break faces north-west, and it’s a pretty consistent spot for the intermediate surfer. Water temp is about 57°F, which is normal for this time of year.
To start, it’s a flat, ugly scene. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are dead – small, weak, messy wind chop. Not worth getting wet.
The first real highlight hits Monday the 24th of August. Morning brings a clean 7ft WNW swell (11-second period) with light SE offshore winds. The combined energy is strong at 930, so there’s some power behind it. The afternoon stays clean with a 6ft swell. That’s the best of the whole two weeks – a solid groundswell, glassy offshore, and the reef will be cooking. The Cove is the only option, and it’s a good one.
But the window is short. From Tuesday the 25th, the swell fades and we hit a long, quiet stretch. Through to Saturday the 29th, it’s tiny waves, cross-off winds, and weak energy. Saturday the 29th morning goes glassy with a 3ft north swell, but it’s only 7 seconds – fat and ordinary.
Sunday the 30th sees a 5ft north swell, but it’s onshore and messy. Monday the 31st of August builds to 6ft NNW, with a glassy morning – a decent wave, but the short period (7 seconds) makes it a bit lumpy. Still worth a look if you’re keen.
Into September, the 1st offers a glassy Tuesday afternoon with 4ft NNW, clean. Then it’s back to small and choppy. The 4th of September is a write-off with strong cross-winds. The 5th and 6th have cleaner 4ft to 5ft W swell, but the wind is cross or cross-off, not clean. The 6th has a 5ft W swell (11 seconds), but it’s lumpy.
So, the real standout is Monday the 24th of August, morning and afternoon. Best surf of the whole outlook. After that, it’s a lot of waiting. The 31st of August morning is a solid backup. But for the rest of the two weeks, it’s mostly small, weak, or wind-affected. Keep your expectations realistic.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 73 | 48 | 79 | 116 | 480 | 925 | 778 | 541 | 317 | 134 | 96 | 37 | 34 | 21 | 70 | 59 | 23 | 11 | 9 | 14 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:18PM3.86m | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | 7:22AM3.94m | 7:29PM4.24m | 8:08AM4.17m | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | 9:14AM4.57m | 9:16PM4.89m | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:01AM2.49m | 12:23PM2.55m | 1:05AM2.25m | 1:18PM2.35m | 1:49AM1.97m | 1:59PM2.11m | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | 3:40PM1.52m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | 8:44 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 73 | 48 | 21 | 116 | 480 | 925 | 778 | 541 | 317 | 134 | 96 | 37 | 34 | 10 | 70 | 59 | 49 | 68 | 51 | 33 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | — | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 11 | N 8 | NE 4 | WNW 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 8 | 8 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 14 | 5 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | W 17 | N 6 | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 9 | W 8 | SE 7 | E 7 | N 7 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 |
| kJ | 5 | 6 | 1 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | W 4 | WNW 7 | — | — | — | — | SE 5 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | E 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | E 3 | E 4 | — | ESE 3 | — | — | WNW 3 |
| kJ | 31 | 16 | 79 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 12 | — | 5 | — | — | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 21 | 63 | 298 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 0 | 34 | 170 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 170 | 114 | 189 | 59 |
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.
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