Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, W swell with 251 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 (Jul 12) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 7s. 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 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) 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 0.6m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
Alright, grab a coffee and sit down. Rusty here with the long-range nod for The Cove. It is a bit of a slow burner, but there is a real gem waiting for us if you’ve got the patience.
Right now, and for the next week and a half, it’s pretty quiet. We’ve got a few little bumps of swell around 2ft coming from the WNW, but the energy is weak, sitting at around 70 (moderate energy) at best. The wind is mostly cross-off from the SE or E, which does keep the surface clean, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s more of a longboard or a beginner session if you’re really keen. The water temperature here is about average for this time of year.
The real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, hits us on Thursday, the 24th of July, in the morning. After a stretch of poor conditions, the stars align. The Cove is an exposed reef break, and we’re looking at a solid 6 to 7ft swell from the WNW. The period is a nice 10 seconds, so it’s got some proper groundswell energy behind it. The combined energy is a strong 794 (strong wave energy), telling you this is the real deal. But the best part? The wind is light from the WSW, just 6 mph, making it a gentle cross-off breeze. That means the surface will be clean as a whistle. The waves will be well-shaped, holding that reef line, and this is definitely one for the intermediate crew. The swell is a bit much for beginners, but it’s not too big for the experts either. It’s going to be a proper session. Just be aware, the crowds can be around sometimes, so get in early.
The afternoon of the 24th still has a solid 6ft swell, but the wind swings a bit cross-on, making it less perfect. The week before that, on the 21st and 22nd, we see some bigger swell push through (6ft to 7ft with energy up to 722), but the wind is cross-on, making it messy and choppy. It’s a pass for me.
So, the takeaway? The first week and a half is a write-off for anything good. But hang tight. The morning of Thursday, the 24th of July, is your best bet. That’s the one.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 68 | 43 | 28 | 51 | 45 | 66 | 123 | 242 | 125 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 26 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:09AM4.50m | 7:42PM4.70m | 8:15AM4.66m | 8:36PM4.92m | 9:14AM4.82m | 9:27PM5.10m | 10:07AM4.91m | 10:14PM5.21m | 10:57AM4.92m | 10:59PM5.25m | 11:45AM4.85m | 11:44PM5.19m | 12:31PM4.70m | 00:29AM5.05m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:33PM1.67m | 2:06AM1.53m | 2:27PM1.53m | 2:58AM1.22m | 3:16PM1.44m | 3:47AM0.99m | 4:03PM1.40m | 4:34AM0.87m | 4:47PM1.44m | 5:20AM0.88m | 5:31PM1.54m | 6:05AM1.00m | 6:14PM1.70m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 4:24 | — | — | 4:24 | — | — | 4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:14 | — | — | 10:13 | — | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:05 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 14 |
| kJ | 68 | 43 | 28 | 51 | 45 | 66 | 123 | 242 | 125 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 26 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NNW 6 | WNW 9 | E 7 | W 15 | W 14 | W 12 | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | SE 4 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 104 | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 7 | E 7 | W 21 | — | E 6 | W 19 | — | W 18 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | — | — | — | W 16 | N 7 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | 9 | — | 1 | 7 | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 2 | — | — | E 2 | ESE 2 | — | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | N 5 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 15 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 51 | 170 | 0 | 176 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 59 | 63 | 369 | 370 | 621 | 653 | 1106 | 864 | 864 | 1106 | 17 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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