Surf Forecasts:
The Cove surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,064 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 2.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. 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 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is The Cove, a reef break that loves a good NW swell. The coming days are looking a little mixed, so we gotta pick our moments.
Right now, Sunday the 23rd, we’ve got nothing going on. A bit of a weak WNW swell at 3ft with a short period of 7 seconds, and a cross wind from the WNW at 12 mph. The combined swell energy is weak at 127. It’s just messy and poor. Not worth paddling out.
We’ve got a quiet spell until Monday the 24th, and that’s where things finally start to get interesting. Monday morning looks like the standout of the entire outlook. We’ve got a clean 7ft swell from the WNW, and with a period of 11 seconds, this is a proper groundswell with good energy – the combined energy is a strong 947. The wind is light and offshore from the SE at 6 mph, so conditions should be clean. This is the pick of the forecast for intermediate surfers – not too big, but with enough power to make it fun. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.
Monday afternoon the swell drops a bit to 6ft, but the SE wind picks up to 12 mph. Still clean, but the tide might mess with it a little. It’s still a solid option if you miss the morning.
Tuesday the 25th the swell drops to 4ft from the west in the morning, period dropping to 11 seconds, and the offshore wind is still there but stronger at 16 mph. The energy drops to 318, which is moderate. It’s clean, but pretty ordinary.
Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are small. Swell around 2ft to 2ft with weak energy. Thursday morning has some surfable but ordinary conditions with a 2ft west swell at 10 seconds. Not much to get excited about.
Friday the 28th is tiny, down to 0.7ft. The swell is all but gone, with a combined energy of just 8. Not worth it.
Saturday the 29th has a small pulse from the north at 2ft, with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind is offshore from the south at 16 mph, which will keep it clean, but the energy is low at 76. It’s surfable but nothing special.
Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st see a bit of a bump from the north, with swell around 4ft to 5ft, but the period is short (5 to 8 seconds) and the wind is onshore. The combined energy is moderate at 106 to 223, but the conditions are poor. These days are a write-off.
Tuesday the 1st of September is small again, 2ft to 2ft, with weak energy. Not worth it.
Now, Wednesday the 2nd of September has another potential highlight. The swell picks up to 5ft from the west with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind is light cross-offshore from the SW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 327, which is moderate. It’s a good option for the morning. The afternoon gets a little more onshore, so the morning is the call.
Thursday the 3rd has a clean 5ft WNW swell at 9 seconds, with a moderate SE breeze. The energy is 339. It’s marginal, but with the right tide it could be fun.
Friday the 4th has a small west swell at 3ft, and the wind goes glassy in the morning from the SSE at just 3 mph. The energy is 181, moderate. It’s clean but small. A good session for a longboard.
Saturday the 5th has a bigger pulse of 7ft from the west at 8 seconds, with a moderate SE wind. The combined energy is a strong 666. This is getting into expert territory for size, and with a short period, it might be a bit raw. Still, for those who can handle it, the morning looks interesting.
Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are back to poor conditions, with onshore winds and messy surf. The swell drops and the wind picks up, especially Monday with a strong 25 mph cross-onshore. Not worth it.
So, the standout is definitely Monday the 24th morning. That’s the best window. Wednesday the 2nd morning is the next best option. The rest is either small, windy, or messy. The Cove is a reef break, so watch for the tide, and it can get crowded sometimes. Stay safe.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | NNE 5 | N 7 | NW 10 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
79 | 113 | 480 | 942 | 778 | 551 | 317 | 140 | 51 | 39 | 24 | 20 | 70 | 59 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 74 | 72 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 9:44AM4.72m | 9:46PM5.03m | 10:13AM4.81m | 10:16PM5.11m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:40PM1.52m | 4:03AM1.17m | 4:11PM1.43m | ||||||||
5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:40 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | 14 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | N 7 | NW 10 | NW 8 |
21 | 113 | 480 | 942 | 778 | 551 | 317 | 140 | 51 | 39 | 24 | 20 | 70 | 59 | 22 | 64 | 74 | 28 | 39 | 74 | 72 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 7 | E 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 8 | W 7 | NNE 5 | NW 10 | NNE 7 | N 6 |
26 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 29 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 15 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | N 7 | N 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | NE 10 |
1 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | 12 | 11 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 4 | ESE 3 | E 4 | E 4 | E 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | ESE 4 | E 4 | E 5 |
79 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 74 | 12 | 34 | 94 | — | — | — | 37 | 28 | 34 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 63 | 301 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 8 | 34 | 170 | 104 | 0 | 34 | 117 | 63 | 148 | 50 | 0 | 16 | 65 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - North Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











