
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 3 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, W swell with 1,134 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 10s period. 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 2.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 03) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 4th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s look at the outlook for The Cove.
The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag, with a few mornings that will get the heart going but plenty of periods to stay patient through. The week starts on a bit of a dud, then we’ve got a run of smaller stuff, before a solid pulse shows up for the 15th. That’s the standout in the window.
The first proper surf worth paddling out for hits Saturday morning, July 4th. The Cove will have 6 ft of clean swell out of the west, with a period of 10 seconds pushing in (561 units of combined energy). The wind is light and offshore from the south, which is a massive plus—will be clean and inviting for an intermediate surfer. The water is sitting at 54°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year—nothing unusual there.
Sunday through Monday the waves drop off, and the wind turns messy. Sunday morning has 4 ft from the west-northwest but it’s cross-shore and weak (276 units), just not worth the squeeze. Monday is small, with weak 2-3 ft and only 185 units of energy. You’d be fighting the board for nothing.
Tuesday morning the 7th is a quiet gem: a glassy 3 ft from the west, 8-second period (269 units). It’s small, but smooth and clean. That’s one for the longboard or a fun twinny if you just want to trim.
After that, Wednesday the 8th goes bumpy again – 4 ft but cross-shore with chop. Skip it. Thursday and Friday mornings (9th and 10th) offer 3 ft and 3 ft, clean small waves (cross-off winds) but low energy – under 180 units. Good for a solo paddle, not a highlight.
Then the forecast goes quiet, but don’t tune out yet...
The real standout shows up on Wednesday morning, July 15th. That’s a full 7 ft from the west-northwest, with a short-period 8 seconds, pumping 620 units of combined energy. It’s accompanied by a light cross-off breeze from the south-southeast, meaning the surface will be clean. The Cove, being a reef setup and exposed to the west-NW, should handle this well. At 7 ft, this is in the expert zone—it’s too big for beginners. Crowds are sometimes around here, so you can likely still bag a few sets if you time it right. For the intermediate, this is the one that’s got real push and quality.
The afternoon of the 15th backs off to 7 ft (517 units), still solid but a little lumpier with a moderate breeze. Then the energy fades fast—Thursday and Friday the 16th-17th are mostly messy cross-shore winds and small weak waves. By the 18th there's a slight uptick to 4 ft from the west (306 units) but it’s cross-shore again, nothing to get excited about.
So overall: The best windows are Saturday the 4th (clean, offshore 6 ft) and Wednesday the 15th (big, clean 7 ft). The rest is patchy and small. If you’re keen, aim for the 15th.
Stay wet,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
567 | 893 | 1020 | 561 | 527 | 383 | 276 | 197 | 123 | 69 | 112 | 160 | 142 | 126 | 132 | 178 | 241 | 177 | 143 | 122 | 102 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:39AM4.37m | 11:39PM4.72m | 12:16PM4.34m | 00:15AM4.66m | 12:55PM4.28m | 00:54AM4.60m | 1:39PM4.22m | 1:39AM4.51m | 2:30PM4.17m | 2:32AM4.42m | 3:28PM4.15m | 3:34AM4.35m | 4:32PM4.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:32PM1.88m | 6:03AM1.56m | 6:08PM1.95m | 6:41AM1.62m | 6:47PM2.05m | 7:22AM1.70m | 7:31PM2.16m | 8:10AM1.79m | 8:23PM2.27m | 9:06AM1.88m | 9:27PM2.34m | 10:13AM1.93m | 10:45PM2.31m | ||||||||
4:11 | — | — | 4:13 | — | — | 4:13 | — | — | 4:15 | — | — | 4:16 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | 4:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:23 | — | — | 10:22 | — | — | 10:22 | — | — | 10:21 | — | — | 10:20 | — | — | 10:19 | — | — | 10:17 | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 8 | W 8 | W 9 | N 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 |
6 | 1 | 1020 | 561 | — | — | 276 | 197 | 123 | 69 | 112 | 48 | 142 | 126 | 41 | 178 | 241 | 177 | 143 | 122 | 102 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | NNW 6 | N 9 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 73 | 47 | 127 | 88 | 41 | 50 | 84 | 54 | 34 | 32 | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | NE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | 4 | 9 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | W 10 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | W 8 | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
567 | 893 | — | — | 527 | 383 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 160 | — | — | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 363 | 345 | 0 | 0 | 777 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
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.










