safety cove reef, Australia
Also within 20 km of Port Arthur
- Caves Surf spot · 5 km from Port Arthur
- Shipstern Surf spot · 10.3 km from Port Arthur
- Eaglehawk Neck Surf spot · 15.3 km from Port Arthur
- Tesso's Surf spot · 16.5 km from Port Arthur
Watch this spot We email you when safety cove reef is worth the trip.
About safety cove reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (119°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (299°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 28). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in January, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Port Arthur, 3.7 km away (about 10 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.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 32 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to HBA, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL).
See flights MDW → HBA · Skyscanner from about £855 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to safety cove reef.
Accommodation.
Stay in Port ArthurAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Port Arthur (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Port Arthur 7 min by car · rooms from £90 a night · 15 places to stay · where safety cove reef stays
Places to stay in Port Arthur · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Port Arthur · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Port Arthur · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
safety cove reef on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
safety cove reef does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 11, too small | 2 ft10 scrumbling | 94kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 18°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling | 153kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 15, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling | 163kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 240kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 16°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 33, too small | 6 ft12 scrumbling | 799kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 32, too small | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 548kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 35, too small | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 607kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 20°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 13, too small | 4 ft8 scrumbling | 194kJ | wind from the south-west, 13 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 24, too small | 4 ft10 scrumbling | 328kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 13 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 46, fair | 6 ft10 scrumbling | 640kJ | offshorewind from the west-north-west, 19 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 0, poor | – | – | – | – |
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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to HBA, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 10 by road. About 32h 20 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Caves
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 7 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctSurf Caves
Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 6 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Caves
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 11 s, wind 2 kn (4 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to HBA, changing at DFW and AKL, then 1h 10 by road. About 32h 20 door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Port Arthur each day: Caves, safety cove reef.
Rough cost
About £1,590–£3,050 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to HBA, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £855–£1,780 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £110–£180 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £240–£395 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £105–£175 |
| Total | £1,590–£3,050 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Port Arthur
- Gabriels on The BayAustralian · 1.1 km from the centre
- Commandants Table Restaurant0.3 km from the centre
- 1830 Restaurant & Bar0.6 km from the centre
- On the Bay1.1 km from the centre
- Two Old Queens0.9 km from the centre
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
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.