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Bovisands 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

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Bovisand Bay
Bovisands Reef. Photo: Robert Ashby, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Bovisands Reef

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

The spot faces SW (211°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (31°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 25). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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). The town to stay in is Plymouth, 4.2 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 2 wind sports 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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From Chicago: about 16 h 55 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 25 from the airport to Bovisands 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

Bovisands 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 18Oct152 ft5 smushy10kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct72 ft5 smushy12kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct71 ft9 shollow7kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct122 ft7 smushy52kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct414 ft6 smushy124kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct213 ft10 scrumbling212kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct132 ft7 smushy55kJ13°C
Sun 25Oct164 ft8 smushy176kJ12°C
Mon 26Oct184 ft7 smushy121kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct135 ft7 smushy199kJ14°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 25 by road. About 16h 55 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 21 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf drakes bowl

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 7 kn (13 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 26 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 25 by road. About 16h 55 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.