
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, W swell with 675 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cove this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 2.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
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 on the table for The Cove.
Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. The first week is pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a solid stretch of poor surf conditions from the 18th right through until the 24th of July. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, pretty breezy, and the swell is all mixed up and short-period. It’s just not happening. You’d be fighting chop and crumbly waves for no reward. That’s a tough run of about seven days with nothing worth paddling out for.
Now, things start to get interesting around the 25th of July. The swell is building, and we finally see a change in the wind. Saturday the 25th, the wind swings to a cross-offshore from the SW, and the water cleans right up. The swell is coming in from the WNW at 7 ft, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is solidly in the strong range (636). It’s still a bit raw, but it's clean. That’s a glimmer of hope. By Saturday afternoon, the swell pushes a touch bigger to 7 ft from the WNW, period stretches to 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to 861. It’s marginal, but the clean face is a massive step up from what we’ve seen.
The standout window, and I mean the real highlight, looks to be on Sunday the 26th of July. The morning brings a clean 5 ft swell from the WNW with a 10-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the W at just 9 mph. The combined energy is still a solid 439, and the word from the forecast is 'expect good surf conditions.' It’s not massive, but it’s clean, it’s got shape, and it’s a reef break that will handle that period well. The Cove is a fairly consistent spot, and this is where it shines. The afternoon lightens up even more with a 4 ft swell and a light breeze. It’s going to be glassy.
The Monday the 27th is still clean, but the swell drops to 4 ft and the wind picks up a bit. It’s surfable, but not the hero session.
Further out, around the 30th of July and into the 31st, we see a serious spike in size. The 30th of July afternoon has a 12 ft swell from the WNW with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 2637. That’s very strong energy. But the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy, and that size is for experts only. The 31st of July morning has a 8 ft swell from the WNW, a 10-second period, and a gentle cross-shore breeze. The energy is still very strong at 1325, and the conditions are cleaner. That’s a promising look for the end of the month, but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.
The water temp at The Cove is sitting at 56°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
To wrap it up, if you’re looking for a clean, fun session, the standout is the morning of Sunday the 26th of July. It’s got the right wind, a decent swell, and it’s at a reef break that likes that kind of energy. The bigger stuff later in the month is for the experienced crew only, and it’s a bit further out in the forecast, so treat it as promising but not locked in.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
136 | 171 | 111 | 94 | 47 | 56 | 192 | 237 | 173 | 334 | 335 | 532 | 365 | 248 | 174 | 181 | 173 | 148 | 565 | 562 | 533 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:31PM4.70m | 00:29AM5.05m | 1:16PM4.50m | 1:14AM4.84m | 2:04PM4.29m | 2:03AM4.58m | 2:54PM4.11m | 2:57AM4.31m | 3:51PM3.98m | 4:00AM4.08m | 4:54PM3.95m | 5:13AM3.94m | 6:01PM4.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:14PM1.70m | 6:51AM1.22m | 6:58PM1.91m | 7:38AM1.51m | 7:46PM2.13m | 8:29AM1.81m | 8:40PM2.34m | 9:27AM2.09m | 9:49PM2.49m | 10:35AM2.28m | 11:12PM2.51m | 11:45AM2.35m | 00:26AM2.39m | ||||||||
4:33 | — | — | 4:35 | — | — | 4:37 | — | — | 4:39 | — | — | 4:41 | — | — | 4:43 | — | — | 4:46 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:05 | — | — | 10:04 | — | — | 10:01 | — | — | 10:00 | — | — | 9:58 | — | — | 9:55 | — | — | 9:53 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | ENE 9 | WNW 7 | N 6 | N 6 | WNW 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 6 | WNW 8 | N 7 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | N 6 | W 9 | N 6 |
136 | 8 | 111 | 25 | 11 | 43 | 58 | 33 | 51 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 22 | 248 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 562 | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | N 6 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | W 8 | N 6 | N 6 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | N 6 | N 7 | E 8 | — | W 13 | — | N 6 | — |
1 | — | 47 | 31 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 14 | 1 | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | NE 8 | W 9 | NE 9 | N 6 | E 7 | N 7 | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 | — | — | — |
1 | — | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 7 | — | WNW 7 | W 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | — | W 9 |
— | 171 | — | 94 | 47 | 56 | 192 | 237 | 173 | 334 | 335 | 532 | 365 | — | 174 | 181 | 173 | 148 | 565 | — | 533 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 87 | 259 | 87 | 35 | 63 | 186 | 191 | 424 | 186 | 778 | 954 | 422 | 367 | 424 | 309 | 63 | 132 | 143 | 418 | 523 | 421 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










