Third Reef, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Westport, 49 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ACV (ACV), 106 km.

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About Third Reef

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

The spot faces SW (206°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (26°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 11°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Westport, 49 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ACV (ACV), 106 km. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 11 h 50 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to ACV, changing at Denver International Airport (DEN).
See flights MDW → ACV · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd
Getting there. 2 h 10 from the airport to Third Reef.
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Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Westport, 49 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: ACV (ACV), 106 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Third Reef · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Third Reef · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Third Reef on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

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

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Third Reef, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	0, too big	6 ft8 scrumbling	519kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 3 knots	13°C
Mon 19Oct	18, poor	5 ft9 shollow	412kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots	12°C
Tue 20Oct	0, too big	9 ft10 scrumbling	1,373kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots	12°C
Wed 21Oct	50, good	4 ft7 shollow	187kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots	16°C
Thu 22Oct	33, poor	4 ft6 smushy	110kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore	15°C
Fri 23Oct	37, fair	4 ft6 smushy	118kJ	wind from the north, 8 knots, offshore	16°C
Sat 24Oct	46, fair	4 ft8 shollow	211kJ	wind from the north-west, 4 knots	13°C
Sun 25Oct	0, too big	6 ft6 smushy	269kJ	wind from the south-west, 9 knots	12°C
Mon 26Oct	21, poor	5 ft8 smushy	298kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots, offshore	13°C
Tue 27Oct	48, good	4 ft7 shollow	182kJ	wind from the east, 7 knots	12°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

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to ACV, changing at DEN, then 2h 10 by road. About 11h 50 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Third Reef
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Third Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Third Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Third Reef
Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to ACV, changing at DEN, then 2h 10 by road. About 11h 50 door to door

Rough cost

About £750–£1,395 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to ACV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DEN, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£225–£470
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£115–£190
Food	7 days eating out	£260–£480
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£115–£190
Total		£750–£1,395

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

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