The Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 58.62° N 3.65° W

The Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cove sea temperature is
13.7°C
0.8° 

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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 11s period, W swell with 6,686 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. 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 5.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Sat 5th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
Best Surf10PM (Sat 5th Sep)6.5ft (2.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 1PM (Tue 8th Sep)18ft (5.5m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cooking at The Cove.

Right off the bat, this 16-day window is a bit of a wild ride. We get some serious size early on, but the wind is going to be a major pain for most of it. The real sweet spot, the one you should be circling on your calendar, is tucked away in the second week, and I'll get to that.

The start is brutal. Saturday the 5th has a solid 12ft WNW swell with a ton of energy but that 25 mph cross-wind from the WNW is going to rip the face off it. Pure messy cross-chop. It's big, but it's not clean. Sunday the 6th drops right down, way too small and weak with onshore winds. Monday the 7th gets a bit of a pulse, that 5ft to 6ft W swell is there, and we finally get some offshore wind, which is clean. But the energy is still moderate and the period is short and bumpy. Not worth getting too excited.

Tuesday the 8th looks insane on paper – a massive 15ft swell from the W with energy off the charts – but a near-gale force 31 mph wind will turn it into a washing machine. That’s strictly for tow-in heroes or kites, not your standard paddle session. The rest of that first week and into the second is plagued by strong cross and onshore winds, making most of the solid swell windows just blown-out and lumpy. Forget that stretch from the 8th through the 18th; it’s a long, frustrating gap of poor conditions. There are little windows of glassy or clean conditions, like the 11th and 13th, but the swell is tiny, under 3ft, so it’s barely a ripple.

Now, here’s the standout. Hold on for the morning of Saturday, September 19th. The weather forecast is clear, the wind is dead calm. Glossy conditions, mate. We’ve got an 8ft swell rolling in from the WNW with very strong energy. This is a proper, groundswell pulse with a 9-second period that will line up nicely on this exposed reef. It’s a big, powerful wave though, so this is only for experienced surfers. This is easily the best on offer. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. Crowds are always possible at The Cove on a good day, and this will be a good day.

Then, Sunday the 20th is almost as good. Another clean, offshore morning with a 7ft WNW swell and an 11-second period. This might actually have better shape and longer lulls between sets, which can make the paddle out easier. The swell is a touch smaller but still solid. This whole weekend is a goldmine if you can handle the size.

So, to wrap it up: grind through a couple weeks of mostly windy, blown-out junk for that one incredible, glassy Saturday morning on the 19th, and don't sleep on Sunday the 20th either. That's your window.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat night, strong winds from the SW by Mon night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Tue morning, calm by Thu night).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
3
1
1
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
1
1
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)
3.5
WNW
9
2.5
WNW
10
1.8
WNW
9
0.9
W
9
0.7
W
8
0.4
NNE
8
1.5
W
8
1.9
W
13
3.5
W
13
4.5
W
12
4
WNW
11
3
NW
10
2.1
NW
8
1.9
NW
8
0.9
W
8
1.1
N
9
0.9
N
8
0.6
W
10
0.8
W
10
0.9
W
10
1.1
W
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1578
1243
499
117
66
24
286
1163
4908
5006
4275
1631
585
493
108
192
111
69
136
154
223
Wind (km/h)
40
WNW
30
W
15
S
20
SSE
25
SSE
35
WSW
25
SSW
35
SW
45
SSW
50
WSW
55
WNW
35
NW
25
NW
20
WNW
10
SSE
15
ESE
15
ENE
0
W
5
NE
5
NNW
15
W
Wind State
cross
cross
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
High Tide
3:31PM4.04m
4:29AM4.01m
5:06PM4.09m
6:11AM4.14m
6:28PM4.33m
7:23AM4.42m
7:29PM4.65m
8:16AM4.69m
8:17PM4.95m
9:00AM4.89m
9:00PM5.19m
9:38AM5.00m
9:38PM5.31m
Low Tide
10:04PM2.29m
10:53AM2.41m
11:44PM2.10m
12:19PM2.25m
00:56AM1.73m
1:20PM1.99m
1:50AM1.36m
2:08PM1.71m
2:35AM1.05m
2:50PM1.49m
3:16AM0.87m
3:29PM1.34m
3:55AM0.82m
clear
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:20
6:22
6:24
6:26
6:28
6:31
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:05
8:01
7:59
7:55
7:52
7:50
7:46
 mm
3
6
2
1
3
2
2
1
1
Temp °C
13
13
12
14
16
17
14
14
12
12
12
12
13
13
11
14
14
12
14
13
13
Feels °C
5
6
9
10
12
12
8
6
5
2
2
4
8
8
9
11
11
11
13
12
10
  • 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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