The Reef
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
37Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- NE 8 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Wed 4 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 44kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 34kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Fri 6 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 61kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- W 4 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Sun 8 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNE 4 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Mon 9 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 16kJ
- Wind
- W 7 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 240, too small
- Tue 338, poor
- Wed 442, poor
- Thu 542, too small
- Fri 637, too small
- Sat 735, too small
- Sun 826, too small
- Mon 917, too small
- Tue 1012, too small
- Wed 119, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SEtakes swell from the SE
- Offshore: NWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 19 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Jul4 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 41kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 38, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the north-east, 8 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 42, poor | 3 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 44kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 37, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 61kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 25°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 17, too small | 1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 16kJ | offshorewind from the west, 7 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 6 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft8 ssoft1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the west, 4 knots, offshore | 21°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 00:57 +0.7 mLow 07:06 −0.7 mHigh 13:29 +0.9 mLow 19:55 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:05 +0.8 mLow 08:16 −0.7 mHigh 14:32 +0.9 mLow 20:54 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:08 +0.8 mLow 09:22 −0.7 mHigh 15:32 +0.8 mLow 21:48 −0.8 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.
Best time to go
best in Jul
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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
The Reef on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of The Reef
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More surf near here
5 places
- 2nd Avenue Pier 0.1 km away
- Holiday Inn MB 1.7 km away
- Springmaid Pier 4.6 km away
- Myrtle Beach 38th to 41st 4.8 km away
- Myrtle Beach (42st - 46 st) 5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Reef
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SE (135°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (315°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 4.3 km out (1 in 435). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 28°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually July, with about 4 good days in 7; in January, March and April, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Myrtle Beach, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
Water about 19°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$973–US$1,740 each
about US$973–US$1,740 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to MYR, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$161–US$329 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| Total | about US$973–US$1,740 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 128 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Myrtle Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Surfside Beach on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 52 places to stay
- Beds in Garden City Beach on Booking.com
about 30 min by car · 44 places to stay
About US$114 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 4h 20m
About 4h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MYR, direct, then 25 min by road
Flights MDW → MYR on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.