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Reef Road, United States

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

Also within 20 km of West Palm Beach

All 9 on West Palm Beach's map

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

West Palm Beach Aerial November 2014 photo Don Ramey Logan
West Palm Beach, the nearest town, 6 km away. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Reef Road

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

The spot faces E (97°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (277°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.2 km out (1 in 222). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, September and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is West Palm Beach, 5.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 3 dive sites.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL), direct.

    See flights MDW → FLL · Skyscanner from about £170 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to Reef Road.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in West Palm BeachAd

    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 West Palm Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in West Palm Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Reef Road on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Reef Road 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 18Oct63 ft8 smushy124kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct010 ft9 smushy1,493kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct09 ft9 smushy1,263kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct07 ft8 smushy533kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct06 ft8 smushy431kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct245 ft8 smushy363kJ27°C
Sat 24Oct244 ft7 smushy143kJ25°C
Sun 25Oct164 ft10 smushy312kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct09 ft8 ssoft976kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct013 ft10 ssoft3,233kJ23°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 MDW to FLL, then 1h 40 by road. About 6h 30 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 28 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Flagpoles

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Flagpoles

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to FLL, then 1h 40 by road. About 6h 30 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near West Palm Beach each day: Flagpoles, Reef Road.

The trip from West Palm Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £965–£1,735 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 MDW to FLL, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£170–£355
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£965–£1,735

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

Places to eat near West Palm Beach

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. 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.