Reef.

Reef is the most extreme wave in the Ericeira cluster, pitching a thick, square-lipped right over a supershallow and uneven rock shelf that barely clears the surface at low tide. Deep-water NW swells arrive without warning and detonate over the reef in a bowly, freight-train fashion, producing the hollowist barrel in the area and one of the most critical takeoffs on the Portuguese coast. The ride is brutally short - rarely exceeding 50 metres - but the tube time on offer inside those metres is exceptional. It is a fickle break, requiring a precise NW swell in the 1-2.5m range paired with light easterly offshores to hold its shape; anything too big or from the wrong angle and it either closes out or becomes unsurfable. Crowds are a constant at this wave regardless of conditions, and localism here is firmly established - the lineup is tight and territorial. Entry is via rocky shoreline, and the supershallow reef means the inside section is genuinely dangerous on the wrong tide. Sea urchins blanket the reef shelf. Backdoor and Pedra Branca sit within 300 metres for surfers seeking alternatives when the peak is packed or conditions are off.