Surf spot

The Reef

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

Country: Australia, QLD, Sunshine Coast
Coordinates: -26.7837, 153.1469

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	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.7	0.8	1.2	1	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.9	1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	ENE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	ENE	ENE	E	E	E	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE
Wave period (s)	5	5	4.8	5.3	5.3	4.9	4.8	4.7	4.7	4.5	4.6	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.6	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.6	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.9	5	5	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.2	5.1	5	5.2	5.3	5.9	6.3	7.2	7	5.7	5.8	5.8	5.4	5.8	5.4	5.1	4.7	4.5	4.5	4.5	5.2	5	4.9	5
Wave energy (kJ)	53	46	46	53	55	34	42	36	33	26	26	24	42	40	36	33	37	39	37	32	30	30	27	23	22	20	21	20	20	20	20	21	21	19	18	17	18	22	17	54	62	87	71	47	41	35	43	48	40	40	34	28	26	22	20	16
Wind speed (km/h)	9	7.9	8.2	13.3	14.5	11.5	6.1	6	6.6	8.9	9.3	12.7	14.3	11.7	6.8	5.4	6.1	7.1	7.7	9.7	10.6	9.4	1.5	5.2	5.8	5.1	3.7	7.9	15.2	12	9.1	7.1	9.4	6.4	4	15.1	20.5	21.7	23.2	18.4	16.9	8.8	8.8	15.8	21.4	20.9	22	16.2	13	9.7	9.6	10.5	18.8	15.6	9.8	7.8
Wind direction	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SCross	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWOffshore	SSWCross-off	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SSECross	SCross-off	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWCross-off	SECross-on	ESECross-on	EOnshore	NEGlassy	WNWCross-off	WOffshore	WOffshore	WGlassy	NEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NNECross-on	NCross	NNWCross	NNWCross	NWCross-off	WGlassy	SSECross	SECross-on	SSECross	SSECross	SCross	SCross-off	SWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSECross	SECross-on	SSECross	SSECross	SCross	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SCross	SSECross-on	SSECross	SCross	SSWCross-off

The Reef on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland is a powerful reef break known for delivering fast, hollow waves when conditions line up. It’s generally a more advanced spot because the takeoff can be critical, the wave can be shallow over reef, and the surf is often best on a particular swell direction and tide.

What it’s like

Wave type: Reef break
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, depending on size and conditions
Style: Can offer barreling sections, punchy walls, and a fast, technical ride
Bottom: Shallow reef, so reef booties and caution can be important

Conditions

Usually works best with a clean swell and favorable winds
Can get crowded when it’s on, since quality reef waves attract attention
Tide and swell angle make a big difference to how surfable it is

Hazards / things to know

Shallow reef
Strong currents possible
Potential for crowds
Best to check local conditions before paddling out