Surf Forecast  Reef Road

Reef Road surfspot characteristics

More about Reef Road surfspot

General: Although moody, Reef Road is by far the best spot in South Florida and an excellent wave by any standard. On smaller groundswells -- under chest-high -- the waves are slow and tend to section off. But when big NE swells are running, lines wrap around Palm Beach Inlet's South Jetty and form long, muscular, point-like lefts that push down the sandbar for more than 100 yards. It's not particularly hollow, but it's exceptionally racy and barrels toward the inside on larger swells. SW winds open the lefts even more.</br></br>The coastline south of Palm Beach Inlet faces slightly southeast, so while N winds blow sideshore across the Inlet, they do little to bother the lefts at Reef Road. On the biggest, most out-of-control windswells, huge peaks break in the deep water of the cove, the little crescent of beach up against the south jetty. The gut-wrenching drops are a blast, and some of the waves push through to the beach. Paddle out next to the jetty, but be careful not to be swept onto the rocks. On smaller days, better windswell peaks will be found at Flagpole. When Reef Road is sizable, rogue sets clear the lineup a few times per hour. Tides: Incoming Size: Chest-overhead plus Wind: WNW Swell: NNE-NE Bottom: Sand Paddling: Not too bad but can be challenging when the surf is bigger. Spot Rating: Well known spot and one of the premier waves on the East Coast when it is on. Even though near impossible to park, expect healthy crowds and a higher skill level. This spot is best for advanced surfers especially when it's on.

Good surfers, experts

Almost impossible.

Fall-Spring, Hurricane

Crowd Factor: Heavy crowds. Local Vibe: Not like it was, but it's there.

Nice and clean.

Watch cops, man-of-war, sea lice, other marine creatures, residents, local surfers.