
Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 6,646 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s 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 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) 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 1.2m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Cove.
The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, with some absolute gems hidden in there if you're patient and can handle the size. The early part of the week is pretty grim, but we've got some proper groundswell and clean conditions lining up for a couple of standout sessions that'll make all the waiting worth it.
First up, Monday and Tuesday are a write-off. The swell on Monday the 7th is a messy 6ft from the WSW with a short 9-second period, on a strong cross-off wind. Wave energy is moderate (512) but the conditions are just marginal and the tide's all wrong. Tuesday the 8th morning is our first glimmer of hope with a clean 8ft W swell at 11 seconds. The wind is offshore from the SSE, so the face will be clean, and the wave energy is strong (1803). It’s scoring decently for a reason, but it's on the bigger side – not for beginners. The afternoon turns into a rainy, choppy mess, so get out early.
Wednesday and Thursday are on the smaller, weaker side with onshore or cross-off winds. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate, with wave energy dropping right off (220-235). Friday the 11th looks lumpy and cross-chopped, best avoided.
Right, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 12th of September is the big one for experienced crew. The morning at The Cove sees a solid 13ft swell from the WNW, with a very long 13-second period. The wave energy is massive (4683), and the wind is a clean offshore from the S. This is big, powerful groundswell – not for the faint-hearted. It'll be a proper paddle, and that longer period will hold up well on this reef setup. This is a standout for experienced surfers only.
The quality holds into Sunday the 13th. The morning still has a strong 10ft swell from the WNW at 12 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze. Wave energy is still very high (2361). But the real magic is Sunday afternoon: glassy conditions with a 7ft W swell. That combination of glass and a solid, long-period swell is about as good as it gets for a clean session. The water temperature is around average for this time of year.
We get a bit of a lull through the start of the following week, though Monday the 14th morning has a clean 6ft W swell on a moderate offshore before the wind cranks up again.
Looking further out, Tuesday the 15th of September kicks back into life with another solid pulse. A massive 15ft WNW swell with strong energy (3834) and a clean cross-off wind. This is again only for experts, but the power is definitely there.
The rest of the run into the third week gets messy. Strong winds, shorter periods, and lumpy conditions dominate from the 16th onwards. There’s a potential 16ft WSW swell on Saturday the 19th, but with a near-gale cross-shore wind making it completely unsurfable. The very end of the window on the 22nd has a tiny 2ft swell with a 17-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and choppy, so that long period won't save it.
So to sum it up: The early week is a bust. The standout is Saturday the 12th in the morning for the experienced – big, powerful, and clean. Sunday the 13th afternoon is the other peak, with that glassy, long-period swell that will have the place humming. Be ready to jump when it’s good, because the rest of the time you’ll be watching from the cliff.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Mon night, light winds from the WSW by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 9 | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
484 | 1965 | 4610 | 1803 | 1027 | 455 | 208 | 162 | 84 | 88 | 219 | 225 | 280 | 568 | 1214 | 4676 | 5517 | 5018 | 2243 | 1113 | 479 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 6:11AM4.14m | 6:28PM4.33m | 7:23AM4.42m | 7:29PM4.65m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:19PM2.25m | 00:56AM1.73m | 1:20PM1.99m | 1:50AM1.36m | 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 | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | W 11 | W 13 | W 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 9 | W 10 | N 8 | N 8 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | — | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
7 | 1965 | 4610 | 1803 | 1027 | 455 | 186 | 162 | 84 | 88 | 219 | 225 | 1 | 1 | 1214 | 4676 | 5517 | — | 2243 | 1113 | 479 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | NNE 8 | — | — | SE 6 | NW 10 | — | NNW 7 | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | — | NNW 14 | NNW 14 | NNW 12 |
21 | 6 | — | — | 6 | 16 | — | 58 | 28 | 27 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 118 | 189 | 313 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 9 | — | SSW 5 | S 4 | — | N 4 | NNW 8 | — | — | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | SSW 3 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | — | — | WNW 13 | — | — | SSE 4 |
484 | — | 83 | 15 | — | 7 | 208 | — | — | 13 | 11 | 8 | 280 | 568 | 1179 | — | — | 5018 | — | — | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 368 | 831 | 531 | 739 | 531 | 739 | 318 | 63 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 176 | 582 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 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.










