The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 11 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.3° C
0.1° 

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 11 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, W swell with 2,424 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 12) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Cove in the next 16 days are 3.5m 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Wed 12th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 11s
Best Surf10AM (Tue 18th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 9s
Most Powerful 1AM (Wed 19th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at The Cove are a bit of a mixed bag, with plenty of flat spells and not much to get excited about. The water’s sitting at 56°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast kicks off Tuesday the 11th with nothing doing – just small, messy, cross-off wind and poor conditions. That stretches into Wednesday and Thursday, where we see tiny, ordinary waves with a bit of glass from time to time, but nothing worth paddling out for. The energy’s weak, barely cracking triple digits (178 on Tuesday morning, dropping to 67 by Wednesday). Friday and Saturday are a write-off too – strong cross-shore winds, choppy, and choppy, with swell heights hovering around 2ft to 4ft and short, weak periods. Not much to offer.

Then there’s a decent gap. Sunday the 16th morning finally shows a pulse – 4ft from the NNW, 8-second period, with glassy conditions and ENE light airs. The combined energy hits 271, which is moderate, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a standout, but the swell’s not huge and the period’s short, so it’s more of a small-wave cruiser. The water’s still around 56°F, so a spring suit is fine.

After that, we’re back to flat and ordinary through the 17th, 18th, and 19th – tiny, cross-off or onshore, with energy barely above 50. The 20th Thursday sees a bit more size – 6ft to 6ft from the west, period 11 seconds, and energy jumping to 722 – but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle. Definitely not for beginners, and even experts will find it messy.

The next real glimmer comes Friday the 21st morning – 4ft from the WNW, 10-second period, with light WSW cross-off winds and clean conditions. Energy’s moderate at 334, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a solid option, but nothing epic. Saturday the 22nd morning is similar – 4ft, WSW cross-off, light breeze, and clean – also rated “good.” The afternoon swells to 7ft from the WNW, 11 seconds, energy 951, but it’s cross-shore and choppy, so more of a challenge.

Sunday the 23rd is small again, and the following week tails off into tiny, weak, and mostly cross-off or onshore slop. The standout is definitely Sunday the 16th morning – glassy, clean, and a little pulse of energy. If you’re after something bigger, the 20th has size but wind messes it up. The 21st and 22nd mornings are your best bets for clean, rideable waves in the second week, but expect them to be inconsistent and crowd-free.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
N
8
0.6
N
7
0.4
W
11
0.6
W
10
0.4
WSW
10
0.5
W
11
0.6
W
11
0.7
W
10
0.7
W
10
0.8
W
9
0.8
W
9
1.2
W
5
1.2
W
8
1.2
WNW
8
1.4
NNW
8
1.2
N
8
0.9
N
7
0.7
N
7
0.5
W
9
0.5
W
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
78
39
41
80
32
64
82
98
90
104
101
74
200
188
232
163
86
48
43
35
Wind (km/h)
20
SE
15
SSE
10
SSE
5
NW
5
S
10
ESE
10
ENE
5
S
20
WNW
25
WNW
15
W
20
W
20
WNW
20
NW
10
NW
15
ENE
10
SE
10
ESE
20
ESE
15
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
8:30PM4.91m
9:12AM4.84m
9:16PM5.15m
9:57AM4.97m
9:59PM5.31m
10:39AM4.99m
10:40PM5.35m
11:18AM4.92m
11:19PM5.28m
11:55AM4.77m
11:57PM5.10m
12:32PM4.57m
00:36AM4.83m
Low Tide
2:49AM1.13m
3:05PM1.49m
3:34AM0.89m
3:48PM1.37m
4:17AM0.79m
4:28PM1.34m
4:58AM0.82m
5:07PM1.40m
5:37AM0.98m
5:45PM1.53m
6:16AM1.25m
6:23PM1.74m
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clear
clear
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:26
5:28
5:31
5:33
5:35
5:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:13
9:09
9:07
9:05
9:02
9:00
8:57
 mm
1
1
1
5
1
Temp °C
16
17
22
23
19
20
18
16
15
14
14
14
13
12
13
13
10
14
16
14
Feels °C
13
15
21
22
18
21
18
16
12
10
11
10
9
9
11
11
7
11
12
11
  • 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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