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Rame reef, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Plymouth

All 9 on Plymouth's map

Watch this spot We email you when Rame reef is worth the trip.

Lands End, Cape Cornwall, Brisons - aerial photo
Cornwall, the wider area. Photo: Tom Corser, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, Wikimedia Commons

About Rame reef

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

The spot faces S (191°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (11°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Plymouth, 8.9 km away (about 20 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 20 from the airport to Rame reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PlymouthAd

    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 Plymouth · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Plymouth · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Rame reef on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Rame reef does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct282 ft5 shollow23kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct122 ft5 shollow19kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct91 ft8 shollow10kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct163 ft9 shollow120kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct165 ft6 smushy174kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct274 ft11 shollow325kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct93 ft8 smushy77kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct294 ft9 shollow186kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct134 ft8 smushy158kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct92 ft6 smushy39kJ15°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

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 20 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 22 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Bovisands Reef

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 20 by road. About 16h 50 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Plymouth each day: Bovisands Reef, drakes bowl, Rame reef, Rame Reef Eastern.

The trip from Plymouth, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,110–£2,070 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 NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£380–£795
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£1,110–£2,070

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

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.