Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, W swell with 951 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 2.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 7PM. 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 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for The Cove.
Right off the bat, the next few days are a write-off. We've got a solid westerly swell building, but the wind is howling onshore or cross-off from the south-west, making a mess of things. The combined energy gets up there, hitting 796 (moderate) on Friday afternoon, but it's just not worth it. Saturday and Sunday are looking at similar energy levels, but with a strong breeze, the ocean is going to be a washing machine. This is a period where the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
We finally get a bit of a break on Tuesday the 11th. The swell drops back to a more manageable 4ft from the north, but the real story is the light south-easterly cross-offshore wind. It's going to be clean. The combined energy is a weak 241, so it won't be a day of heavy hitters, but for a surf, it's the best on offer in the early part of the forecast. The Cove is a reef break, so it can handle that north swell, and it's fairly consistent. Just keep in mind it can get crowded here sometimes.
The next real standout isn't until the 20th of August, which is more than a week away. We see a new pulse of westerly swell building, with combined energy climbing to 914 (moderate) on Thursday morning and peaking at 1079 (strong) on Thursday afternoon. The swell is pushing 7ft to 8ft with a 10-second period, which is a solid groundswell. The wind is the issue here, though. It's a moderate cross-shore on the morning and a gentle cross-onshore in the afternoon, so it won't be perfect. The waves will be there, but expect some chop and a bit of a bumpy ride. At that size, 7ft, it's going to be a handful for beginners. This is a long-range call, so the promise is there, but it's not locked in.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a right-off for the most part. The best bet for a clean, easy surf is Tuesday morning the 11th. The big energy is coming a week later, but the wind will be a factor. Keep your eyes on the 20th, but don't book the day off work just yet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Thu night, strong winds from the WSW by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun night, light winds from the NNW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 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) | W 6 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 10 | W 8 | N 11 | W 6 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 47 | 783 | 665 | 723 | 745 | 573 | 916 | 691 | 413 | 858 | 653 | 380 | 224 | 138 | 88 | 48 | 56 | 71 | 59 | 215 | 618 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:55PM4.11m | 4:23AM4.15m | 5:15PM4.16m | 5:55AM4.19m | 6:32PM4.36m | 7:16AM4.39m | 7:36PM4.63m | 8:20AM4.63m | 8:30PM4.91m | 9:12AM4.84m | 9:16PM5.15m | 9:57AM4.97m | 9:59PM5.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:36AM2.09m | 10:15PM2.33m | 11:01AM2.17m | 11:47PM2.18m | 12:22PM2.08m | 1:01AM1.85m | 1:26PM1.88m | 1:59AM1.47m | 2:19PM1.67m | 2:49AM1.13m | 3:05PM1.49m | 3:34AM0.89m | 3:48PM1.37m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:15 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 |
mm | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 9 | W 9 | W 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | WNW 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | W 10 | W 8 | N 11 | W 11 | N 10 |
| kJ | 47 | 4 | 8 | 723 | 745 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 413 | 858 | 653 | 380 | 224 | 138 | 88 | 48 | 56 | 71 | 59 | 116 | 45 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | NNE 10 | N 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NE 8 | — | — | NNW 12 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 11 | N 8 | N 7 | W 9 | N 10 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 29 | 9 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 3 | — | — | 226 | 111 | 61 | 28 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 23 | 29 | 9 | 7 | 52 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | — | N 11 | NE 9 | N 9 | ESE 6 | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | W 10 | — | W 9 | W 7 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | W 13 | SE 7 | — |
| kJ | 9 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 3 | W 8 | W 9 | — | S 4 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 2 | ESE 5 | S 3 | — | — | W 5 | W 6 | W 10 |
| kJ | 8 | 783 | 665 | — | 17 | 573 | 916 | 691 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 33 | 215 | 618 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 148 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 7 | 171 | 421 | 198 | 46 | 82 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 28 | 0 |
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)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Cove surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest