Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, W swell with 338 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with N 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m 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 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look what the next couple of weeks have in store for us.
Straight up, the 16-day outlook for this area is a bit of a tough one. We're looking at a long, dry spell of nothing worth paddling out for, followed by a brief window that might just save the run. There’s a solid gap from now until the 18th of August where you can pretty much leave the boards in the shed.
We do finally get a slight pulse on Tuesday the 18th morning at The Cove. This is a reef break, so it handles swell well, but we're only talking about a tiny 2ft swell from the north with weak combined wave energy (68). The wind is a light cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean, but it’s really just surfable waves in very ordinary conditions. Not exactly one to write home about.
The one true standout in this whole period looks to be Wednesday morning, the 19th of August. The Cove (this spot is an exposed reef) will be the pick. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the west, rolling in with a period around 10 seconds, giving it some decent shape. The combined wave energy is a moderate 278, so there's a little bit of push. The wind turns glassy – dead calm – which is a major positive. Expect good surf conditions. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year. Eastern morning session will be the go.
After that window on Wednesday, the wind turns onshore and nasty, and the swell drops off again. There’s a couple of days in the second week, around the 25th, where the swell bumps up to 5ft from the WNW with strong energy (406), but it’s being hammered by a 12-15 mph onshore wind, making it a messy, blown-out affair. Not recommended.
So, to wrap it up: keep your eyes on Wednesday morning, the 19th of August, at The Cove. It’s the one clean, glassy session in an otherwise bleak forecast. For the rest of the run, you're probably better off doing something else.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | W 9 | N 7 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | NNE 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 105 | 270 | 264 | 177 | 91 | 40 | 39 | 41 | 38 | 56 | 58 | 43 | 170 | 219 | 338 | 277 | 181 | 118 | 136 | 150 | 234 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 11:18AM4.92m | 11:19PM5.28m | 11:55AM4.77m | 11:57PM5.10m | 12:32PM4.57m | 00:36AM4.83m | 1:10PM4.35m | 1:17AM4.51m | 1:52PM4.13m | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:44PM3.95m | 3:10AM3.88m | 3:54PM3.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:07PM1.40m | 5:37AM0.98m | 5:45PM1.53m | 6:16AM1.25m | 6:23PM1.74m | 6:55AM1.57m | 7:03PM1.99m | 7:36AM1.93m | 7:49PM2.25m | 8:23AM2.27m | 8:51PM2.49m | 9:29AM2.54m | 10:25PM2.60m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | 25 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 91 | 36 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 56 | 58 | 43 | 170 | 219 | 338 | 277 | 181 | 78 | 136 | 150 | 234 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | ESE 5 | W 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | 11 | 42 | 40 | 31 | 41 | 22 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 35 | 18 | 17 | — | — | — | 34 | 21 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | W 5 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | E 2 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | W 3 | W 4 | — | — | — | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | — | — | NE 3 |
| kJ | 105 | 270 | 264 | 177 | — | — | — | 1 | 11 | 28 | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | 53 | 112 | 118 | — | — | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 593 | 777 | 34 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 34 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 65 | 777 | 207 | 207 | 87 | 87 |
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.
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