Bluff Reef
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
31Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 6 ft swell at 9 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 800kJ
- Wind
- SSW 12 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 286kJ
- Wind
- NW 14 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 687kJ
- Wind
- WSW 15 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Fri 6 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 1,530kJ
- Wind
- WSW 16 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Sat 7 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,527kJ
- Wind
- SSW 20 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,292kJ
- Wind
- S 13 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Mon 9 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 465kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 261, good
- Tue 341, poor
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 522, poor
- Fri 65, poor
- Sat 714, poor
- Sun 837, poor
- Mon 949, fair
- Tue 1037, poor
- Wed 1147, fair
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 61, good | 8 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,136kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 41, poor | 7 ft9 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 800kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 12 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 5 ft9 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 286kJ | wind from the north-west, 14 knots | 14°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, poor | 8 ft8 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 687kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots | 13°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 5, poor | 9 ft10 smushy10 ft at break (est.) | 1,530kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 16 knots | 13°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 14, poor | 10 ft9 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,527kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 20 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 37, poor | 10 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,292kJ | wind from the south, 13 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 49, fair | 6 ft9 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 465kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 37, poor | 6 ft10 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 716kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 13 knots | 13°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 47, fair | 7 ft10 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 953kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 12°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 06:10 +0.4 mLow 22:26 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 07:12 +0.3 mLow 23:10 −0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 08:36 +0.2 mLow 17:13 −0.1 mHigh 22:36 +0.0 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Bluff Reef on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Arthur River 6.8 km away
- Church Bay 6.9 km away
- Lighthouse Beach 7.4 km away
- Greens 11.5 km away
- green point 12.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Bluff Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (290°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (110°). 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 900 m out (1 in 92). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 13°C in September, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). The town to stay in is Arthur River, 6.8 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,930–US$3,670 each
about US$1,930–US$3,670 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to BWT, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and MEL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$965–US$2,000 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$355–US$596 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$141–US$234 |
| Total | about US$1,930–US$3,670 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Arthur River its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Marrawah on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 5 places to stay
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 33h 25m
About 33h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → BWT, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Melbourne Airport (MEL), then 1h 50m by road
Flights MDW → BWT on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.