Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, N swell with 460 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 31 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 (Jul 31) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s 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 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 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 at what’s happening with The Cove. It’s a reef break that’s pretty consistent, exposed to the swell, and it loves the NW swell direction. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.
Right now, honestly, it’s a bit of a rough start. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. From Friday the 31st right through to the end of the first week of August, the surf is just not cooperating. The wind is messy, mostly cross or cross-off, and the swell is weak and short-period. The combined energy is low, barely cracking 200 (182) at best, and the wave quality is poor. It’s a real struggle to find anything worth paddling out for. There’s a session on the morning of the 5th of August where the swell drops to 2 ft with a light breeze, but it’s so small it’s barely rideable.
The second week starts to look a bit more promising, but it’s still a slow burn. The morning of Sunday the 9th of August is the first real glimmer of hope. The wind goes glassy, completely calm, and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the WNW at 9 seconds. The combined energy is 161, not huge, but that glassy surface will make it feel like a million bucks. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.
Then, the real standout comes later. On the morning of Friday the 14th of August, the stars finally line up. The swell bumps up to a solid 6 ft from the west at 9 seconds, with a combined energy of 483. That’s a moderate, punchy energy. The wind is light and cross-off from the SE, keeping the surface clean. This is the best on offer over the whole 16 days – a proper, clean, overhead day at The Cove. The afternoon stays rideable but the wind shifts a little, so hit the morning session.
Keep in mind, this is a reef break, and with a 6 ft swell, it’s not for the inexperienced. The long period (9 seconds) is decent, giving the waves some shape. It’s not a super long-period groundswell, so it shouldn’t be too straight.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Patient surfers are waiting until the 9th for a glassy knee-high wave, and the real score is the morning of the 14th of August. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 6 | W 6 | WNW 5 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 54 | 40 | 42 | 115 | 118 | 297 | 196 | 195 | 380 | 397 | 282 | 189 | 112 | 86 | 63 | 76 | 54 | 38 | 23 | 17 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:43AM4.59m | 10:44PM4.94m | 11:14AM4.61m | 11:15PM4.95m | 11:46AM4.59m | 11:48PM4.91m | 12:20PM4.52m | 00:23AM4.81m | 12:59PM4.42m | 1:04AM4.67m | 1:46PM4.29m | 1:55AM4.48m | 2:44PM4.17m | 3:01AM4.28m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:37PM1.63m | 5:03AM1.31m | 5:10PM1.63m | 5:36AM1.32m | 5:43PM1.68m | 6:12AM1.38m | 6:19PM1.78m | 6:50AM1.50m | 6:59PM1.93m | 7:34AM1.68m | 7:47PM2.10m | 8:27AM1.89m | 8:50PM2.27m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:03 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:31 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:24 |
mm | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | W 6 | N 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 7 | N 7 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 54 | 40 | 23 | 115 | 118 | 297 | 176 | 195 | 380 | 397 | 282 | 189 | 112 | 86 | 63 | 76 | 54 | 38 | 23 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 9 | NW 7 | ESE 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
| kJ | 28 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 16 | — | 138 | 40 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 7 | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 6 | W 9 | NW 7 | ESE 7 | WNW 6 | E 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 26 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | — | — | ESE 3 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | ENE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 67 | — | 42 | 97 | 94 | 54 | 196 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 12 | 80 | 83 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 412 | 424 | 28 | 63 | 832 | 832 | 46 | 21 | 141 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 183 | 170 |
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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