Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,198 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. 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 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a close look at what’s cookin’ for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, it’s a pretty grim start. The first week or so is a write-off, with nothing but poor surf conditions and messy, cross-shore winds. Friday through Sunday of this week are all blown out, with lumps of wind swell and choppy water. You’d be wasting your time paddling out.
Then, things finally turn around. The real standout window hits on Monday, 24 August. The Cove is looking mint that morning. We’ve got a solid groundswell pulsing in from the WNW at 7ft, with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-off from the SSE. That combo is gonna deliver clean, powerful waves. The combined energy is pumping strong at 1126, so there’s plenty of grunt in the water. This is only for experienced surfers, though – at over 8ft, it’s big and serious. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The afternoon of the 24th is still excellent, with the swell dropping slightly to 7ft but still clean and cross-off. That’s a solid day for anyone comfortable in overhead-plus surf.
From Tuesday 25 August onward, the swell fades fast. The wind stays clean (cross-off) for a few days, but the wave heights drop to 4ft, 3ft, and then down to 2ft by Wednesday and Thursday. The energy drops too, with combined numbers around 284 and then way down to 47. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.
There’s a long dry spell after that. Friday 28 August sees a near gale cross-shore wind with a tiny, short-period 3ft swell – that’s more of a kite session than a surf. The next few days are mostly small, messy, or just average.
The only other flicker of hope comes much later, on Saturday, 5 September. That morning we get a 5ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds, and clean cross-off winds from the SE. The combined energy is moderate at 335, and it’s rated as good surf conditions. The afternoon holds similar size but a slightly longer period, though the conditions are reported as marginal. It’s a week-and-a-half out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the best looking thing after that Monday.
So, no doubt about it: Monday 24 August morning is the one to circle. The Cove (reef) will be firing with a solid, clean WNW groundswell. Get out there early if you’ve got the skills. After that, the forecast is quiet and small.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Mon morning, fresh winds from the SSE by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
347 | 297 | 189 | 125 | 73 | 49 | 85 | 181 | 517 | 1121 | 972 | 573 | 273 | 184 | 73 | 52 | 48 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 3:54PM3.84m | 4:38AM3.72m | 5:18PM3.86m | 6:14AM3.76m | 6:34PM4.01m | 7:22AM3.94m | 7:29PM4.24m | 8:08AM4.17m | 8:10PM4.48m | 8:43AM4.38m | 8:45PM4.70m | 9:14AM4.57m | 9:16PM4.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:25PM2.60m | 11:03AM2.65m | 00:01AM2.49m | 12:23PM2.55m | 1:05AM2.25m | 1:18PM2.35m | 1:49AM1.97m | 1:59PM2.11m | 2:26AM1.71m | 2:35PM1.88m | 2:59AM1.48m | 3:08PM1.68m | 3:31AM1.30m | ||||||||
5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | |
— | 8:46 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | N 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | E 8 |
12 | 12 | 189 | 125 | 73 | 49 | 26 | 181 | 517 | 1121 | 972 | 573 | 273 | 184 | 73 | 52 | 48 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 18 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | N 7 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | E 8 | E 7 | ESE 7 | N 8 |
— | — | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 5 | — | 1 | 10 | 9 | 31 | 14 | 11 | 28 | 28 | 15 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 16 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | N 6 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 |
— | — | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 9 | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | — | — | — | ENE 7 | SE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 5 | ESE 4 | — | ESE 2 | WNW 3 |
347 | 297 | 9 | 8 | 42 | 22 | 85 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 25 | 34 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | — | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 183 | 259 | 63 | 63 | 148 | 17 | 26 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 82 | 9 | 9 | 170 | 0 | 0 | 183 | 668 |
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.











