Surf spot

The Reef

Forecast conditions and map view for The Reef in Australia, QLD, Gold Coast. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Australia, QLD, Gold Coast
Coordinates: -28.1043, 153.4671

Metric
Metric	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00
Wave height (m)	1.1	1.1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.8	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.4	0.5	0.4	1.3	1.3	1.5	1.5	1.7	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.3	1.2
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ENE	ENE	SSE	ENE	ESE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE
Wave period (s)	5	5.5	5.5	5.7	5.5	5.3	5.3	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.4	5.5	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.5	5.5	5.4	5.1	5.2	5.3	5.5	5.8	5.5	5.5	5.3	5.6	5.3	8.5	6.3	8.5	8.7	8.2	8.3	7.7	7.8	10.8	10.3	8.4	7	6.5	6.3	7.3	8.4	8.7	7.5	7.2	7.1	7.3	7.2	7.3	7.3	7.5	7.4	7.3	7.2
Wave energy (kJ)	58	71	65	64	59	55	54	58	51	48	49	47	44	41	34	37	34	30	25	23	23	21	22	22	22	18	17	15	10	8	15	107	239	255	267	228	64	38	249	153	200	181	304	217	233	263	259	245	259	233	221	209	220	203	178	159
Wind speed (km/h)	7.7	8.4	7.3	14.8	16.8	13.3	7.5	5.9	6.2	6.3	5.2	9.8	12.2	10.7	4.3	3.9	5.4	5.8	4.7	11.6	18.9	16.6	9.6	8.7	8.4	7.1	17.4	21.1	19	23.7	21.5	20.2	14.7	12.6	9.7	18	20.9	17.8	14.9	15.9	11	8.8	8.1	11.4	17.2	16.6	6.5	6.3	6.3	5.2	4	8.6	16.5	11.8	5.5	6.6
Wind direction	SCross-off	SCross-off	SCross-off	ESECross-on	ECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross	SCross-off	SWOffshore	SSWOffshore	SSWCross-off	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	NEOnshore	NGlassy	WNWGlassy	WCross-off	WCross-off	WNWGlassy	NCross-on	NNEOnshore	NNECross-on	NNWCross	NWCross	NWCross	WNWCross-off	SCross-off	SSECross-off	SSECross	SECross	SSECross-off	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWOffshore	SSECross-off	SSECross	SSECross	SCross-off	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWOffshore	SSWOffshore	SSECross	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SCross-off	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WSWOffshore	WGlassy	NNECross-on	NEOnshore	NNECross-on	NNWCross	WNWCross-off

The Reef on the Gold Coast, Queensland, is a reef break known for producing powerful, hollow waves when conditions line up. It’s a more exposed, punchy surf spot that can handle a bit of swell and often works best with a clean offshore breeze.

Spot character

Type: Reef break
Wave quality: Can be fast, steep, and hollow
Best on: Medium to larger swell, depending on tide and sand/reef setup
Wind: Offshore winds help shape the wave nicely
Crowd factor: Can be popular when it’s working well

What to expect

The Reef generally offers a more intense wave than a mellow beachbreak. It can provide solid barrels and sharp takeoffs, making it better suited to intermediate-to-advanced surfers who are comfortable on quicker, more critical waves. Because it’s reef-based, positioning matters a lot, and misreading the takeoff can lead to a closeout or a tough wipeout.

Hazards

Shallow reef
Sharp takeoffs
Stronger currents on bigger days
Less forgiving than a sand-bottom break

Best for

Intermediate to advanced surfers
Shortboarders
Surfers looking for a more powerful Gold Coast session