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Red Reef, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Boca Raton

All 11 on Boca Raton's map

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

Sunset on coast of Florida
Florida, the wider area. Photo: Don Miller, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Red Reef

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

The spot faces E (96°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (276°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 51). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually September, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Boca Raton, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots, 2 wind sports spots 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 5 h 45 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. 55 min from the airport to Red Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Boca RatonAd

    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 Boca Raton · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Boca Raton · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Red 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 18Oct184 ft8 smushy240kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct09 ft9 smushy1,306kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct08 ft9 smushy1,071kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct156 ft8 smushy363kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct236 ft8 smushy376kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct315 ft8 smushy317kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct263 ft9 smushy159kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct134 ft10 smushy284kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct08 ft8 smushy735kJ26°C
Tue 27Oct011 ft10 smushy2,423kJ27°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 55 min by road. About 5h 45 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 32 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Pavillion

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 8 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Pavillion

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

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to FLL, then 55 min by road. About 5h 45 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Boca Raton each day: Boca Inlet, Jap Rock, Pavillion, Red Reef, Spanish River.

The trip from Boca Raton, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £905–£1,640 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£55–£95
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£905–£1,640

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

Places to eat near Boca Raton

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.