Sandy back reef
Surf spot · Australia
Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9, usually: typical for the time of year: good on 13% of days
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 42 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Mon 9 · 45 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in five facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 23 °C2 mm shorty
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3to 8usually | 4 ft6 s | 119kJ | N | 23°C |
| Mon 9usually | 4 ft7 s | 162kJ | NE | 22°C |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Sandy back 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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Photos of Sandy back reef
More surf near here
5 places
- Back Sandy 0.2 km away
- Front Emerald 1.1 km away
- Sandy Beach 1.1 km away
- Shelly's 1.5 km away
- Hearns 3.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Sandy back reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (128°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (308°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 24). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 21°C in July, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 26°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Emerald Beach, 1.5 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 7 surf spots.
Water about 23°C: 2 mm shorty. 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$1,760–US$3,370 each
about US$1,760–US$3,370 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 CFS, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$904–US$1,870 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$40–US$74 |
| 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$1,760–US$3,370 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Emerald Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Sandy Beach on Booking.com
about 5 min by car · 3 places to stay
- Beds in Woolgoolga on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 24 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 30h 30m
About 30h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CFS, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE), then 40 min by road
Flights MDW → CFS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.