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, 10AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,219 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s 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 1.5m and 9s 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 2.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, gonna be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for The Cove. We've got a real slow start, but there's a couple of solid windows that'll get the blood pumping if you're patient.
The first few days are a write-off, honestly. From Friday the 21st through to Sunday the 23rd, it's all cross-shore and cross-onshore winds with messy, weak waves. The swell energy is low, sitting around 110 to 166 (moderate energy at best), and the surf is just poor. Not worth paddling out for.
Monday the 24th is where it finally turns on. The morning brings a clean, glassy vibe with light cross-offshore winds from the southeast at just 3 mph. The Cove is pulling in a solid 8 ft swell from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds – that's a proper groundswell and the combined energy ramps up to 1224 (strong wave energy). This is excellent surf, but at this size, it's for experienced surfers only. The water temp is about average for this time of year. The afternoon stays clean, but the energy drops a bit to 992 (still moderate) and winds pick up, making it a bit more marginal.
After Monday, the waves fade fast. Tuesday the 25th has clean-looking surf but the swell drops to 4 ft and the energy is down to 371 (weak). From Wednesday the 26th right through to Saturday the 29th, it's a proper lull with tiny waves, mostly under 3 ft, and energy dropping to as low as 13 (weak). Not much happening.
Sunday the 30th is the next standout. The morning glass is incredible – a light offshore breeze from the south at 9 mph, clean conditions, and a 8 ft swell from the WNW. The combined energy is 1172 (strong), and it's labeled as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a big, powerful swell, so only the crew with some experience should be out. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 10 ft from the NW, but the wind swings onshore and the conditions get messy – a real shame.
Monday the 31st has some size, around 7-7 ft, but it's onshore and messy. Then from the 1st of September through to the 5th, it's back to strong cross-onshore winds, lumpy surf, and poor conditions. The swell energy stays weak to moderate, and there's just nothing to get excited about. The window is pretty much shut after that first weekend.
So, to sum it up: the best bet is Monday the 24th for a proper, clean swell, and Sunday the 30th for another window of quality, but both are for the experienced. The rest is a lot of waiting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Mon morning, fresh winds from the E by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 356 | 297 | 269 | 129 | 75 | 34 | 85 | 155 | 574 | 1219 | 990 | 577 | 363 | 109 | 74 | 34 | 31 | 27 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
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 | 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 | 9:29AM2.54m | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 8 |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | N 8 | WNW 9 | NNE 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 |
| kJ | 12 | 12 | 4 | 129 | 75 | 34 | 25 | 11 | 574 | 1219 | 990 | 577 | 363 | 109 | 74 | 34 | 31 | 27 | 33 | 29 | 25 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | NNE 8 | — | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NW 13 | N 10 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 7 | N 8 | N 8 | W 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 6 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 21 | — | 5 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 8 | 85 | 20 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 8 | N 6 | — | — | — | — | N 10 | — | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 8 | NE 6 | W 10 | N 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 8 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 20 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | E 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 4 | ESE 3 | — |
| kJ | 356 | 297 | 269 | 14 | 32 | 33 | 85 | 155 | — | — | — | 1 | 28 | 49 | 17 | 37 | 117 | 186 | 11 | 4 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 785 | 259 | 46 | 63 | 110 | 21 | 63 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 34 | 82 | 9 | 16 | 417 | 189 | 104 | 170 | 183 |
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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