
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 7s period, W swell with 620 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. 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 2.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with ya – the next 16 days at The Cove are a real mixed bag, and honestly, there’s a lot of junk to wade through before we get to anything worth paddling out for. The pattern is all over the shop, with a few decent pulses of swell but the wind just won’t play ball for most of it.
The opening window is a bit of a tease. Tuesday the 14th morning shows a clean 3ft WNW swell with a 10-second period pushing moderate wave energy (246). The cross-off ESE breeze at 9 mph is manageable, giving you a shot at some fun, clean waves. The water is sitting at 55°, which is about normal for this time of year. That’s the first real standout, but it’s a short-lived window.
Then we hit a massive dry spell. From Wednesday the 15th all the way through to Monday the 21st, the wind is a mess – mostly cross-on or cross-shore, with a few days of fresh to strong breezes cranking in from the NW and W. The swell gets bigger, especially around Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st, with a 8ft W swell and strong wave energy (1002), but the wind is too strong and messy for any decent surfing. For a reef break like The Cove, that’s a write-off. It’s more of a kiteboarding setup than a surf session.
The next real window opens on Wednesday the 22nd morning. The swell drops to 7ft from the WNW with a 9-second period and moderate-to-strong energy (613). The wind goes cross-off from the WSW at 12 mph, which cleans it up nicely. That’s a solid option for an intermediate or above, but it’s a bit on the big side for beginners. The sweet spot, though, is Saturday the 25th morning. It’s glassy – dead calm – with a 4ft W swell and an 8-second period, producing moderate wave energy (210). That’s the best-looking day of the entire run. Clean, calm, and just enough push to get into some fun waves. The wind is a light WSW at 3 mph, making for a proper tranquil morning. Keep in mind The Cove is fairly consistent, so you can trust it’ll have shape.
The rest of the second week is a bit of a letdown. Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th have some swell but the wind is either cross or cross-off and a bit stronger, making it marginal. Monday the 28th morning has a clean offshore from the SSE at 22 mph, but the swell is only 3ft with weak energy (111), so it’s small and workable but not a standout.
If I had to pick the true standouts: Tuesday the 14th morning for a clean, punchy 3ft wave, and Saturday the 25th morning for that glassy perfection with chest-high peelers. The rest is either too windy, too messy, or too small. Get out there on those two windows and you’ll be smiling.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 10 | WNW 5 | W 6 | W 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | 65 | 132 | 242 | 125 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 186 | 133 | 126 | 121 | 136 | 96 | 57 | 17 | 66 | 118 | 263 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 1:16PM4.50m | 1:14AM4.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:51AM1.22m | 6:58PM1.91m | 7:38AM1.51m | ||||||||
— | — | 4:26 | — | — | 4:28 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:31 | — | — | 4:33 | — | — | 4:35 | — | — | 4:37 | |
— | 10:13 | — | — | 10:12 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:05 | — | — | 10:04 | 10:01 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 6 | W 10 | W 11 |
47 | 65 | 132 | 242 | 125 | 64 | 39 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 186 | 133 | 126 | 121 | 5 | 1 | 57 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 21 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | W 14 | W 12 | — | W 18 | W 18 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | — | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | E 6 | NNE 5 | N 6 | WNW 11 | W 12 | N 8 |
1 | 15 | 106 | — | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 15 | E 7 | W 19 | — | W 18 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | W 10 | W 10 | E 6 | N 6 | N 5 |
4 | 1 | 7 | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 2 | ESE 2 | E 6 | E 2 | SE 2 | — | ESE 3 | SE 2 | — | — | NNW 3 | N 3 | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 6 | W 7 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 136 | 96 | — | 14 | 66 | 118 | 263 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 183 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 17 | 183 | 207 | 32 | 87 | 87 | 223 | 63 | 63 | 7 | 148 | 148 | 22 | 523 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











