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Hartley Reef, UK

Stay in Whitley Bay: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Whitley Bay

Watch this spot We email you when Hartley Reef is worth the trip.

About Hartley Reef

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (75°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (255°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 91). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 7°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Whitley Bay, 2.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 14 h 55 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to EDI, direct.

    See flights ORD → EDI · Skyscanner from about £375 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h from the airport to Hartley Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Whitley BayAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Whitley Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Whitley Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Hartley Reef on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct273 ft6 smushy56kJ11°C
Mon 19Oct284 ft5 smushy75kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct174 ft6 smushy83kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct563 ft6 smushy84kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct171 ft5 smushy9kJ11°C
Fri 23Oct114 ft5 smushy66kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct383 ft5 smushy38kJ10°C
Sun 25Oct122 ft5 smushy12kJ10°C
Mon 26Oct3under 1 ft3 s0kJ11°C
Tue 27Oct233 ft6 smushy67kJ12°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h by road. About 14h 55 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 18 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Hartley Reef

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Hartley Reef

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 3h by road. About 14h 55 door to door

The trip from Whitley Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,105–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£375–£780
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,105–£2,055

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Whitley Bay

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.