Slade Bay/Boot Reef Surf Guide

Slade Bay/Boot Reef on Gower is a fairly exposed reef break that has quite reliable surf. Winter and spring are the best times of year to visit. Offshore winds are from the north. Able to handle light onshore wind Waves just as likely from local windswells as from distant groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southwest. A choice of left and right reefs. Best around low tide. Sometimes crowded. Submerged rocks are a hazard.

Slade Bay/Boot Reef Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef3fairly consistent
66°F*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Slade Bay/Boot Reef:

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

What's the best time of year to surf Slade Bay/Boot Reef (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Slade Bay/Boot Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 6% of the time in January while 42% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 52% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
6%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
42%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
52%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Slade Bay/Boot Reef Location Map

Interactive Slade Bay/Boot 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 Slade Bay/Boot Reef is Swansea Airport (SWS) in Wales, 11 km (7 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Slade Bay/Boot Reef is Cardiff Airport (CWL), also in Wales, 61 km (38 miles) away.

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  • Live Wave Height (ft)
  • Live Wind Speed (mph)
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  • Ocean Swells (ft)
  • Wind Speed (mph)
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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.
Slade Bay/Boot Reef Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 29 July 2025, 01:16 Local Time
Tuesday 29
4AM7AM10AM1PM
Wave (ft)
2
WSW
2.5
WSW
2.5
W
3
W
Period (s) 9 9 5 6
Wind (mph)
5
10
10
10
Wind State glass cross-
off
cross-
off
cross-
off

Swell History at Slade Bay/Boot Reef

Surf stats for Slade Bay/Boot Reef, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Slade Bay/Boot Reef

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


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