Overview

Crayfish Reef is a reef break on the Melkbosstrand coast, north of Big Bay. This advanced spot gets its name from the crayfish (lobster) reef on which the waves break. The south-easterly Cape Doctor blows side-offshore, creating technical wave riding conditions. The waves are fast and hollow, breaking on a shallow rocky reef. Spot frequented by local wave riders looking for quality conditions away from the crowds.

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Spot forecast for Crayfish Reef

Sunrise 05:58 · Sunset 19:03

Open-Meteo

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo

Swell and waves

Swell and tides over 8 days. Premium members see the swell and tides over 8 days. Without a subscription: 5 days.

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Wave height: < 0.5 m 0.5–1 m 1–2 m 2–3 m ≥ 3 m

Swell data by Open-Meteo Marine

Tides

Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 1.9 km from the spot.

Tuesday 20 October Low tide 05:00 · 0.7 m High tide 11:26 · 1.2 m Low tide 17:53 · 0.7 m High tide 23:48 · 1.2 m
Wednesday 21 October Low tide 05:55 · 0.6 m High tide 12:12 · 1.3 m Low tide 18:34 · 0.5 m
Thursday 22 October High tide 00:34 · 1.3 m Low tide 06:35 · 0.5 m High tide 12:47 · 1.5 m Low tide 19:08 · 0.4 m
Friday 23 October High tide 01:11 · 1.4 m Low tide 07:09 · 0.4 m High tide 13:20 · 1.6 m Low tide 19:39 · 0.3 m
Saturday 24 October High tide 01:45 · 1.5 m Low tide 07:42 · 0.3 m High tide 13:52 · 1.7 m Low tide 20:11 · 0.2 m

Crayfish Reef: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

216h

in November · 22.5 rideable days

The season runs from September to April, peaking in November: 16 rideable days a month and 216 hours of usable wind, at 25 °C. The low point is July, at 2.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 55%13-20 knots · 42%21-30 knots · 3%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 55% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is July, at 16 °C. The wettest month is July, with 177 mm.

Monthly averages: Crayfish Reef

Monthly averages — Crayfish Reef — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	14.0	126 h	27 °C	4 mm
February	14.5	145 h	27 °C	3 mm
March	15.5	111 h	26 °C	34 mm
April	15.0	108 h	24 °C	16 mm
May	6.5	36 h	21 °C	34 mm
June	5.0	29 h	18 °C	80 mm
July	2.5	18 h	16 °C	177 mm
August	3.5	16 h	17 °C	71 mm
September	13.5	107 h	20 °C	19 mm
October	15.5	140 h	23 °C	12 mm
November	22.5	216 h	27 °C	6 mm
December	16.5	142 h	26 °C	9 mm

Photo gallery of Crayfish Reef

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Technical details of Crayfish Reef spot

The spot works with winds from SE, SSE, S.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot functioning

Works with SW swell and SE Cape Doctor. Best at mid to high tide. Waves of 1 to 3 meters. The reef offers hollow and fast sections. Technical spot reserved for advanced riders.

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Advanced

On the water

Cold water (12-16°C), 4/3 or 5/3 wetsuit. Rocky reef with hollow waves. Currents. Abundant kelp. Variable depth around the reef.

Parking

Parking along Otto du Plessis Drive. Access path to the beach. No infrastructure. Don't leave valuables.

Wind specificities

SE Cape Doctor in side-offshore. Wind of 15 to 35 knots from October to March. The offshore wind smooths the waves and improves their quality but makes return more complex.

Hazards

Side-offshore wind. Shallow rocky reef. Powerful waves. Strong currents. Kelp. Cold water. Isolated spot. Sea urchins. Reserved for advanced riders.

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In memory of Patrice22.7 kmsource holfuy.com

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Additional stations

In22.7 km

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source gowind
ZA Seapoint 0m20.2 km

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source pgsonda.cz

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Webcams near Crayfish Reef

Webcams provided by Windy.com

Nearby spots

All spots: Western Cape

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Crayfish Reef kitesurf and windsurf spot