The Cove Surf Break

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

Issued: 12 am 04 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
12.2° C

Normal for this time of year

The Cove surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Cove surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, W swell with 1,030 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 10s period. 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 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Sat 4th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Best Surf 4AM (Sat 4th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 10s
Most Powerful 1AM (Tue 7th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

G'day, Rusty here. Alright, let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Cove over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we've got a bit of a pulse coming through. The main action is a solid W swell that's gonna be pushing in. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The big standout is definitely the morning of Saturday the 4th. We're looking at a clean 6ft W swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is a nice cross-off from the SW. The energy is solid, reading 561, and it's set to deliver some very good surf. The Cove is a reef break that's fairly consistent, and with that offshore wind, it'll be clean. You'll want to be comfortable on an intermediate wave, but it’s a hell of a way to start the weekend. Just keep an eye out, the crowd can be around sometimes.

The arvo on the 4th, the wind swings onshore and gets strong, so that's a write-off. Sunday the 5th is a bit of a letdown – the swell drops right off, and the wind is messy. Monday the 6th is small and ordinary, just tiny dribblers.

The next real standout is a bit further out, on Tuesday the 14th of July. That morning, the forecast is looking very promising. We've got a 6ft W swell, again with a 9-second period, but the wind is forecast to be glassy from the ENE. That's a dream scenario for The Cove. The energy is strong at 634, and the forecast says "very good surf conditions." This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-shore wind, but the morning is the real prize.

Before that, there are a few mornings with glassy conditions, like the 9th and the 13th, but the swell is just too small to get excited about – only about 3ft or so. The 13th morning has a 4ft swell and glassy wind, which is a "good" call, but it's a bit underwhelming compared to the 14th.

After the 14th, the outlook gets ordinary again. The swell drops, the wind turns onshore, and we're looking at a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. That Sunday the 19th, the swell picks up a bit to 5ft, but with a short 7-second period and a strong cross-shore wind, it's just not going to be any good. The energy is like 280, but it's all mush.

So, to sum it up: The best of the best is the morning of Saturday the 4th. The long-range standout that's worth a gamble is the morning of Tuesday the 14th. Everything else in between is a bit of a write-off.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Mon night, calm by Wed night).

Saturday
4
Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
2
1
0
2
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
W
10
1.9
W
10
1.6
WNW
9
1.2
WNW
9
1
WNW
9
0.9
WNW
9
0.7
W
8
0.9
W
8
3
W
8
1.9
W
8
1.8
W
9
2.2
W
7
1.7
W
9
1.7
W
9
1.4
W
9
1
W
9
0.9
W
9
1.1
W
9
0.8
W
9
0.7
W
9
0.9
W
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
561
655
383
232
162
123
71
113
1030
464
471
496
463
486
313
160
127
185
95
74
181
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
30
W
15
WNW
10
W
5
NNW
5
ENE
10
SE
15
WSW
35
W
25
W
15
W
25
W
20
W
25
W
5
SW
0
ESE
15
ENE
15
SE
20
SE
25
SE
25
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:16PM4.34m
00:15AM4.66m
12:55PM4.28m
00:54AM4.60m
1:39PM4.22m
1:39AM4.51m
2:30PM4.17m
2:32AM4.42m
3:28PM4.15m
3:34AM4.35m
4:32PM4.19m
4:44AM4.32m
5:39PM4.30m
Low Tide
6:03AM1.56m
6:08PM1.95m
6:41AM1.62m
6:47PM2.05m
7:22AM1.70m
7:31PM2.16m
8:10AM1.79m
8:23PM2.27m
9:06AM1.88m
9:27PM2.34m
10:13AM1.93m
10:45PM2.31m
11:26AM1.91m
00:02AM2.14m
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
mod rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
mod rain
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
4:13
4:13
4:15
4:16
4:18
4:18
4:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
10:22
10:22
10:21
10:20
10:19
10:17
10:16
 mm
5
2
8
4
3
3
9
Temp °C
15
13
12
14
13
12
14
14
13
13
13
14
18
19
17
20
20
17
21
20
15
Feels °C
12
8
8
11
12
11
13
12
8
9
11
10
14
15
16
19
19
15
17
16
11
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
W
10
1.6
WNW
9
1.2
WNW
9
1
WNW
9
0.9
WNW
9
0.7
W
8
0.5
NNW
8
0.6
N
9
0.8
N
10
0.8
N
9
0.6
N
8
0.5
N
7
0.6
N
8
1.4
W
9
1
W
9
0.9
W
9
1.1
W
9
0.8
W
9
0.7
W
9
0.9
W
11
Energy kJ
561
383
232
162
123
71
41
61
115
99
45
26
49
313
160
127
185
95
74
181
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
N
6
0.4
NNW
10
0.2
SSE
3
0.3
NNE
9
0.5
N
7
0.4
NNE
7
0.3
N
6
0.4
NNE
8
0.3
NNE
9
0.3
NNE
9
0.2
NNE
9
Energy kJ
1
30
1
17
28
15
7
22
15
16
7
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
N
8
0.2
N
6
0.1
N
12
0.2
NNE
10
0.3
NNE
9
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
9
0.2
ESE
4
0.1
SE
5
Energy kJ
1
3
3
10
17
2
2
2
1
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
W
10
0.9
W
8
3
W
8
1.9
W
8
1.8
W
9
2.2
W
7
1.7
W
9
1.7
W
9
0.3
SE
2
0.4
ESE
3
0.6
WNW
4
Energy kJ
655
113
1030
464
471
496
463
486
1
5
10
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
Distance (km)
0
777
21
7
16
9
0
0
369
34
7
34
34
34
0
0
9
0
9
34
34
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
2
2
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
5
5
5
9
7
7
5
8
7
5
6
9
8
9
8
5
5
5
4
9
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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