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Sharpleys Reef, South Africa

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

Also within 20 km of Hole in the Wall

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

About Sharpleys Reef

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

The spot faces SE (133°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (313°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 33). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 21°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Hole in the Wall, 7.9 km away (about 15 min by car).

Water about 22°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 32 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to UTT, changing at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).

    See flights MDW → UTT · Skyscanner from about £795 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 35 from the airport to Sharpleys Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Hole in the WallAd

    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 Hole in the Wall · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Hole in the Wall · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sharpleys Reef on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct295 ft8 smushy337kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct246 ft9 ssoft439kJ18°C
Tue 20Oct316 ft8 smushy414kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct175 ft7 smushy191kJ25°C
Thu 22Oct438 ft9 ssoft888kJ22°C
Fri 23Oct267 ft8 smushy499kJ23°C
Sat 24Oct125 ft9 scrumbling294kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct93 ft7 smushy85kJ23°C
Mon 26Oct134 ft6 smushy106kJ20°C
Tue 27Oct72 ft8 scrumbling66kJ23°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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to UTT, changing at ATL and JNB, then 1h 35 by road. About 32h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Hole in the Wall

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 26 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Sharpleys Reef

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 8 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Hole in the Wall

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, wind 13 kn (23 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 27 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to UTT, changing at ATL and JNB, then 1h 35 by road. About 32h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Hole in the Wall each day: Hole in the Wall, Sharpleys Reef.

The trip from Hole in the Wall, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,155–£2,280 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 UTT, estimated from distance and season, changing at ATL and JNB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£795–£1,655
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£110–£185
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£50–£80
Total£1,155–£2,280

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

Places to eat near Hole in the Wall

  • The Bell Buoy0.4 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

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.