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Southwest Reef 86.8
#1179 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇿🇦 South Africa · Western Cape · near Cape Town
Works almost every day, no off season, real size comes through.
Works all yearBig waveAdvanced
Surf score86.8 /100
Surfable days92% of the year
Clean days30% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell62% period 11 s+
Typical size2.7 m 8.7 ft median
Water17°C a 3/2 wetsuit
Best time to surf Southwest Reef
The best time to surf Southwest Reef is May, June, July. The season runs May to Aug. In May the water sits around 16°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 2.7 m. The nearest airport is CPT (44 km) and the nearest town is Cape Town (49 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 97% | 10% | 2.5 m | 19°C | 2mm |
| Feb | 100% | 14% | 2.4 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Mar | 97% | 26% | 2.4 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Apr | 97% | 24% | 2.6 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| May | 87% | 65% | 2.7 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 79% | 49% | 3.0 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 79% | 48% | 3.2 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Aug | 81% | 42% | 3.1 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Sep | 95% | 28% | 2.8 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 92% | 25% | 2.8 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 99% | 21% | 2.5 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Dec | 99% | 13% | 2.4 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
Why 86.8
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
17.5
Groundswell 12%
12.0
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
8.0
Water comfort 10%
2.6
Access 10%
8.5
The detail
Faces 130° with 86% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 48% of days. Mean peak period 11.7 s. Days over 3 m: 33%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 0%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates -34.359, 18.497 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Dias Beach🇿🇦 South Africa · score 85.7Buffels Bay🇿🇦 South Africa · score 87.5Black Rocks🇿🇦 South Africa · score 87.9Scarborough Point🇿🇦 South Africa · score 82.1
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