Surf spot

Reef Road

Forecast conditions and map view for Reef Road in USA, South East, South Florida. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, South East, South Florida
Coordinates: 26.7634, -80.0376

Metric
Metric	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	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.6	0.7	0.9	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	1	0.9	0.9	0.9
Wave direction	NNE	NNE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	ENE	NE	ESE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE	NNE
Wave period (s)	6.1	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4.5	5.9	4.8	4.8	5.4	6.3	3.1	5.8	6.8	6.8	7	7.1	7.2	7.1	7.3	7.3	7	7.1	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.3	7.3	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	6.4	2.6	3.1	6.3	5.6	4	4.9	5.2	5.6	5.8	6	6	6	6.1	6.2	6.2	6.2
Wave energy (kJ)	34	31	24	19	19	16	14	12	6	9	7	5	6	7	2	3	6	6	6	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	6	2	2	4	4	6	15	26	46	59	66	64	65	69	68	67	61
Wind speed (km/h)	11.5	13.3	10.8	14.5	19.1	17.9	16.4	15.3	16.5	15.3	13.4	17.1	18.1	14.7	16.3	11.6	12.2	13.7	13.8	16.6	18.6	15.1	5.5	5.5	6	8.4	7.4	13.8	11.6	6.8	4.8	13.1	13.3	13.4	14	16.6	20.1	19.7	22.4	21.7	18.8	16.5	15.8	17.6	19.9	22	20.3	18.9	16.7	13.4	16	17.4	17.3	17.4	14.4	9.1
Wind direction	SECross-on	SSECross-on	SSECross	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SCross	SSECross	SSECross-on	SSECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	WOffshore	SSWCross-off	ENEOnshore	ESECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ESEGlassy	EOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	ESEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	NECross-on	NEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ENEOnshore	NEOnshore	NEOnshore	NECross-on	NECross-on	NEOnshore

Reef Road is one of South Florida’s most famous surf spots, located in Palm Beach, Florida. It’s a reef break exposed to the Atlantic, known for producing some of the best waves in the region when conditions line up.

Spot overview

Type: Reef break
Region: South East USA, South Florida
Wave quality: Can be excellent by Florida standards
Crowd: Often crowded when it’s working
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers
Bottom: Coral/reef, so a bit more hazardous than typical beach breaks

What it’s like

Reef Road is known for fast, powerful waves that can be clean and well-shaped when there’s a solid groundswell and favorable wind. It doesn’t work all the time, but when the swell direction and tide are right, it can offer longer rides and punchier sections than most nearby breaks.

Because it’s a reef setup, the waves tend to be more consistent in shape than sandbar beach breaks, but the spot is also more sensitive to swell direction, tide, and wind.

Conditions

Best swell: Usually a solid east or northeast swell
Best wind: Light offshore or calm conditions
Tide: Tide can make a big difference; some tides improve shape while others can make it too shallow or soft
Hazards: Shallow reef, sharp coral, and strong paddling currents at times

Local character

Reef Road is a well-known local favorite and can be competitive when it’s firing. It’s one of the spots surfers watch closely during hurricane season and winter swell events, since South Florida doesn’t get quality surf every day.

Summary

If you’re looking for the best-known quality reef break in South Florida, Reef Road is a standout. It’s powerful, fickle, and potentially excellent, but it requires the right swell and some caution because of the shallow reef.