Bell Block Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Taranaki, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Weather State
Spot Information

Bell Block Reef Surf Guide

Bell Block Reef in Taranaki is a fairly exposed reef break that only works once in a while. Autumn and winter are the best times of year for waves. Offshore winds blow from the southeast. Windswells and groundswells in equal measure and the optimum swell angle is from the west southwest. A left hand reef break. Best around low tide. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up. Hazards include urchins and rocks.

Bell Block Reef Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	inconsistent	17.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Bell Block Reef:

The best conditions reported for surf at Bell Block Reef occur when a West-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

juneBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Bell Block Reef with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 26% of the time in June while 48% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 26% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

26%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

48%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

26%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Bell Block Reef Location Map

Interactive Bell Block 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 Bell Block Reef is New Plymouth Airport (NPL) in New Zealand, 3 km (2 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Bell Block Reef is Wanganui Airport (WAG), also in New Zealand, 129 km (80 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Bell Block Reef Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Friday, 8 May 2026, 02:57 Local Time

m, °C	Friday 08
ft, °F	3AM	6AM	9AM	12PM
Wave (m)	NNW	WSW	NW	NNW
Period (s)	7	14	8	7
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- on	cross- on	cross	cross

What does Bell Block Reef look like?

Latest photos from Bell Block Reef. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Mike Credit: Mike Credit: Jason McKay Credit: Jason McKay Credit: Clark amor

Tides at Bell Block Reef

Current tide and informaton

For New Plymouth, 6 km from Bell Block Reef.

Next High Water: 01:50pm | 2.37m

Next Low Water: 07:50am | 0.85m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Bell Block Reef Sea Temperature

The water temperature (17.4 °C) at Bell Block Reef is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 16.0 °C.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 17.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite