Roaches Reef Surf Guide

Roaches Reef on Gower is a reasonably exposed reef break that has reasonably consistent surf, although summer tends to be mostly flat. Works best in offshore winds from the north. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the optimum swell angle is from the southwest. No beach break here. Best around mid tide. It's sometimes crowded here. Take care to avoid the rocks.

Roaches Reef Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef3fairly consistent
12.5°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Roaches Reef:

The best conditions reported for surf at Roaches Reef occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

What's the best time of year to surf Roaches Reef (for consistent clean waves)?

februaryBest Season: spring
The best time of year for surfing Roaches Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Spring  and most often the month of February. Clean surfable waves are typically found 18% of the time in February while 67% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 15% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
18%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
67%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
15%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Roaches Reef Location Map

Interactive Roaches Reef surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Roaches Reef is Swansea Airport (SWS) in Wales, 6 km (4 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Roaches Reef is Cardiff Airport (CWL), also in Wales, 53 km (33 miles) away.

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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Roaches Reef Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 17:23 Local Time
Tuesday 05Wed
4PM7PM10PM1AM
Wave (m)
0.1
W
0.1
W
0.2
WNW
0.1
W
Period (s) 7 7 4 6
Wind (km/h)
15
20
15
10
Wind State off off off cross-
off

Swell History at Roaches Reef

Surf stats for Roaches Reef, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Roaches Reef

Wind stats for Roaches Reef, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


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