Is it worth the trip?
20Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (4 ft swell at 9 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 270kJ
- Wind
- WNW 19 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 791kJ
- Wind
- WSW 10 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 762kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Thu 5 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 191kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Fri 6 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 236kJ
- Wind
- WSW 3 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sat 7 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 shollow
- Energy
- 230kJ
- Wind
- NW 14 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 1,227kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 148, fair
- Mon 225, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 531, too small
- Fri 636, too small
- Sat 710, too small
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 94, poor
- Tue 1018, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–17 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
Saber Reef does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 48, fair | 6 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 546kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 21 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 25, poor | 5 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 270kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 19 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft8 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 791kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 10 knots | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft9 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 762kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 6 knots | 13°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 31, too small | 4 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 191kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 36, too small | 4 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 236kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots | 14°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft13 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 230kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 14 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 1,227kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 4, poor | 6 ft10 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 595kJ | wind from the east, 27 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 18, too small | 4 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 234kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 8 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 32, too small | 4 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 281kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 10 knots | 11°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
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:10 −1.0 mHigh 06:28 +0.9 mLow 12:45 −0.8 mHigh 18:52 +0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:16 −1.0 mHigh 07:38 +0.9 mLow 13:53 −0.8 mHigh 20:02 +0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:25 −1.0 mHigh 08:48 +0.9 mLow 14:59 −0.8 mHigh 21:12 +0.9 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
Saber Reef on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Saber Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (165°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (345°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–17 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 6). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 11°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 14°C in January, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). No town nearby. Bluff, 76 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Te Anau, 197 km. Nearest airport: Invercargill Airport (IVC), 95 km.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. 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$1,450–US$2,840 each
about US$1,450–US$2,840 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 IVC, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$884–US$1,830 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$221 |
| Total | about US$1,450–US$2,840 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 197 km away
No town nearby
Bluff, 76 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest beds: Te Anau, 197 km. Nearest airport: Invercargill Airport (IVC), 95 km.
See places to stay near Te Anau, 197 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 31h 35m
About 31h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → IVC, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 2h by road
Flights MDW → IVC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.