Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, W swell with 736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s 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 (Aug 19) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 1.7m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you—this 16-day outlook for The Cove is a real long haul of nothing much, with one bright spot right at the end that’s worth waiting for. The short run is basically a write-off, but stay tuned.
Right now, we’re looking at a stretch of poor conditions that goes all the way from Sunday the 16th to Monday the 31st of August, with barely a whisper of decent surf. The first solid mention comes on Tuesday the 25th, but even then it’s only marginal and not worth paddling out for. The wind’s all over the shop—cross-off, cross-on, and onshore—and the swell energy is weak, with values mostly under 200 (26 to 498). The water temp is 57°F which is about average for this time of year, nothing strange.
The only real standout is Saturday the 29th and especially Sunday the 30th of August. On Saturday morning, the swell jumps to 10 ft from the west with a long period of 13 seconds—that’s proper groundswell. The energy is huge, reading 3221, but the wind is a fresh cross-off from the WSW at 19 mph, so it’ll be clean. That size is expert territory, no doubt. But the true winner is Sunday morning the 30th: you’ve got 8 ft from the WNW at 11 seconds, with a solid offshore breeze from the south at 16 mph. That’s light, glassy conditions on a reef break—clean lines, long gaps between sets, and a lot of power. The energy is still massive at 2366. The Cove is a reef setup, and this long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely. It’ll be intermediate-friendly if you’re confident, but with that size, only experienced surfers should be out.
Mind you, for the whole rest of the run, it’s a bust. From the 16th to the 24th, the swell is tiny or messy, with periods under 10 seconds and cross-shore winds making a chop. Even on the 28th, when the swell picks to 5 ft from the west with a 10-second period, the wind is cross-off from the southwest at 16 mph, and the conditions are only marginal. The break is fairly consistent overall, so it’s frustrating to see such a dry patch, but forecasts can flip.
Keep your eye on Sunday the 30th—that’s the one to mark on the calendar. Otherwise, it’s a long wait.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | W 9 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 7 | NNW 5 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | W 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 149 | 91 | 40 | 38 | 41 | 24 | 14 | 29 | 736 | 457 | 323 | 513 | 391 | 291 | 246 | 167 | 163 | 59 | 31 | 59 | 53 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 4:38AM3.72m | 5:18PM3.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:03AM2.65m | 00:01AM2.49m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | N 8 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NNE 8 | N 5 | NNE 9 | N 8 |
| kJ | 26 | 91 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 24 | 14 | 29 | 736 | 457 | 323 | 125 | 92 | 66 | 42 | 24 | 22 | 40 | 27 | 59 | 34 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | SE 4 | W 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 10 | W 8 | NNE 9 | W 11 | E 8 |
| kJ | 11 | 42 | 40 | 13 | 41 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 31 | 9 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 12 | W 10 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | W 8 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | W 7 | E 9 | W 17 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | ESE 2 | ESE 4 | SW 2 | W 5 | — | ENE 4 | NNE 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 7 | NNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | W 5 |
| kJ | 149 | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | 1 | 18 | — | 31 | 93 | 513 | 391 | 291 | 246 | 167 | 163 | 59 | 10 | 23 | 53 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 34 | 17 | 1106 | 0 | 16 | 32 | 32 | 424 | 1106 | 239 | 239 | 239 | 223 | 380 | 239 | 110 |
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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