
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, WNW swell with 4,001 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) 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 0.9m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about The Cove. This is a reef setup, so it’s got that nice, defined shape when it works, but it ain’t for the groms. We’re looking at a solid run of swell, but the wind is gonna be the main character in this story for a while.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off, honestly. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are a bust—wind is messy, cross-on, and the waves are small and weak. Not worth paddling out for. Friday the 11th is even worse, with a fresh 22 mph cross-swell kicking up a lumpy 7 ft mess. You’d be fighting the chop more than the wave.
The first real standout comes on Saturday the 12th. The morning session is the one to watch. We’ve got a powerful 12 ft WNW swell rolling in with a very long 13-second period. The combined swell energy is a massive 3947, so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SSE at 12 mph. That’s gonna keep the faces reasonably clean. But be warned, 12 ft on a reef is expert territory only. This is a big, powerful groundswell, and at that size, it’s going to be heavy and a bit straight at the take-off. Not for the faint of heart.
Sunday the 13th is a bit smaller, but the afternoon is a real gem. The swell drops to 6 ft from the WNW, and the wind goes completely glassy at 3 mph. The energy is still solid at 995. That’s clean, smooth, and perfect for a reef. This is the best session of the first week.
Monday the 14th through Tuesday the 16th is a mixed bag of moderate swells and gnarly wind. The swell is there, but it’s often cross or cross-on, making for lumpy, unappealing conditions. Not worth a special trip.
We get a bit of a reprieve on Thursday the 17th morning. It’s glassy again with a 4 ft N swell, but the energy is low (235). It’s a good little window for a quiet paddle, but nothing to get hyped about.
The real gold is waiting in the second week. Saturday the 19th is a beauty. A solid 4 ft W swell with a 11-second period, and the wind is a clean offshore from the SSE at 12 mph. The energy is 339, and the conditions are clean. That’s a fun, manageable size for intermediate surfers.
But the absolute standout of the whole forecast is Monday the 21st of September. The morning session is firing. We’ve got a 6 ft WNW groundswell with a very long 13-second period, and the energy is a strong 1139. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE. That’s going to produce some seriously good, lined-up waves. The long period will make for some nice, walled-up sections at this reef. It’s a bit bigger, so it’s for experienced surfers, but it’s the best quality on offer.
Then, to top it off, Wednesday the 23rd has a fantastic afternoon. The swell is 7 ft from the west with a 13-second period, and the wind is completely glassy. Energy is 1273. That’s a fresh, powerful, and perfect wave. The morning of Thursday the 24th is also a bomb, with a 8 ft WNW swell and clean offshore wind, but it’s big and powerful. Again, expert zone.
So, to sum it up: the first few days are a wash. The best on offer is the Saturday the 12th morning for the big, powerful stuff, and the Monday the 21st morning for the best quality, cleanest, and most surfable swell. The Wednesday the 23rd afternoon is a close second. Don’t bother with the messy middle days.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
220 | 157 | 45 | 86 | 116 | 598 | 440 | 747 | 3275 | 3940 | 3102 | 2442 | 1277 | 778 | 341 | 283 | 537 | 618 | 723 | 520 | 327 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:16AM4.69m | 8:17PM4.95m | 9:00AM4.89m | 9:00PM5.19m | 9:38AM5.00m | 9:38PM5.31m | 10:12AM5.01m | 10:14PM5.32m | 10:45AM4.94m | 10:49PM5.21m | 11:16AM4.81m | 11:23PM5.00m | 11:47AM4.64m | 11:58PM4.71m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:08PM1.71m | 2:35AM1.05m | 2:50PM1.49m | 3:16AM0.87m | 3:29PM1.34m | 3:55AM0.82m | 4:05PM1.28m | 4:31AM0.90m | 4:40PM1.32m | 5:06AM1.09m | 5:15PM1.44m | 5:39AM1.36m | 5:50PM1.64m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | W 9 | W 5 | W 7 | W 8 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | — | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | N 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
214 | 157 | 34 | 86 | 116 | 4 | 2 | 119 | 3275 | 3940 | 3102 | — | 1277 | 778 | 341 | 283 | 213 | 123 | 85 | 520 | 327 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 11 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 | — | NNW 14 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | W 9 | SE 5 | W 12 | — | N 11 | NW 9 |
220 | 84 | 33 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 6 | — | 156 | 217 | 283 | 127 | 1 | 104 | — | 82 | 176 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 8 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 |
— | — | 45 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 74 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 3 | W 10 | W 7 | W 9 | — | — | — | WNW 12 | — | — | SSE 3 | S 4 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | 13 | 7 | 598 | 440 | 747 | — | — | — | 2442 | — | — | 2 | 18 | 537 | 618 | 723 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171 | 596 | 34 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 34 | 0 | 593 | 651 | 7 |
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.










