Blackhead Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.32° S 176.67° E

Blackhead Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blackhead sea temperature is
12.7° C
0.7° 

Blackhead surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Blackhead surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 20s period, S swell with 3,102 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s period with ESE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Blackhead this week:

The surf forecast for Blackhead over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Blackhead in the next 16 days are 2.0m 20s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Wed 15th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 11s
Best Surf 3AM (Fri 17th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 3AM (Sun 19th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 20s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blackhead over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of days are a write-off. The swell is tiny and the conditions are ordinary. Don't bother paddling out until things start to change. There's a run of flat days before we get going. The first real sniff of action comes on Thursday 17 July.

Alright, so let's talk about the main event. The standout for this outlook is Blackhead, an exposed point break. The water temp is sitting at 55°F, which is actually about what you'd expect for this time of year – nothing unusual.

Mark your calendar for the morning of Friday 18 July. The swell will be pushing 5ft from the ESE with a long period of 16 seconds. That's proper groundswell, and combined with a light WNW cross-offshore breeze, the conditions are set to be excellent. The wave energy will be well up there (1410), so the ocean will have some real punch. This is for the experienced crew – it's going to be a bit much for beginners at that size.

The surf keeps coming that weekend. Saturday 19 July holds up with 4ft ESE swell and clean conditions in the morning. Then Sunday 20 July has a shift to a SSW swell, but it's still good, especially Sunday afternoon with a 3ft SSW swell and that 23-second period – that's some seriously long-period groundswell. It'll be a bit straight at the point, but the glassy offshore WNW wind will make it a joy to be out there.

Looking into the following week, Monday 21 July has the biggest forecast swell at 7ft from the south with a 15-second period. Morning looks clean with a light offshore, but that's only for the experienced rippers, as it's well over the beginner threshold. The real gem might be Tuesday 22 July afternoon: 5ft S swell with 13-second period, and dead glassy conditions. The water will be flat calm with no wind – that's as good as it gets.

After that, the energy tapers off into the second week. The period gets shorter and the swell drops. The standout in that second week is Saturday 26 July. It's not big, just 2ft from the SE, but it's clean with a light SSW breeze, and the wave energy is reasonable (264). It's a small one, but clean.

Just a heads up for the very end of the period – Wednesday 30 July picks up a bit of size with 7ft from the south. But that's a short-period, choppy swell (7 seconds) and with a cross-offshore wind, the setup there might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling in.

Keep an eye on the long-range stuff for the end of July; there's a chance, but don't sell your soul for it yet.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 8°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon afternoon).

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
0
1
3
4
3
4
4
4
4
3
3
4
4
3
4
4
4
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
E
11
0.5
E
11
0.4
ESE
13
0.6
ESE
15
0.9
ESE
16
1.3
ESE
16
1.5
ESE
16
1.6
ESE
15
1.5
ESE
15
1.3
ESE
14
0.9
SSW
23
1.9
SSW
20
1.9
SSW
18
1.6
SSW
16
1.7
S
16
2
S
15
1.9
S
16
1.6
S
14
1.7
S
13
1.5
S
13
1.4
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
66
65
58
169
385
859
1150
1139
924
722
897
2957
2316
1417
1380
1757
1766
1018
1032
747
593
Wind (km/h)
10
NW
10
WNW
15
NW
25
WNW
25
W
15
W
10
WNW
5
NNE
10
NW
15
NNW
20
W
25
SSW
15
SSW
15
S
10
WNW
5
W
5
SE
5
WNW
5
NW
5
NNE
10
NW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
5:57PM1.68m
6:23AM1.52m
6:53PM1.69m
7:20AM1.52m
7:49PM1.66m
8:17AM1.50m
8:44PM1.62m
9:12AM1.47m
9:37PM1.56m
10:07AM1.44m
10:30PM1.49m
11:00AM1.41m
11:21PM1.42m
Low Tide
11:38AM-0.01m
00:19AM0.00m
12:36PM-0.03m
1:17AM-0.01m
1:33PM-0.02m
2:13AM-0.01m
2:30PM0.00m
3:08AM0.01m
3:25PM0.05m
4:00AM0.05m
4:20PM0.10m
4:51AM0.10m
5:12PM0.16m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:31
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:28
7:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:06
5:06
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:08
5:09
 mm
Temp °C
15
17
13
15
15
12
12
13
9
12
13
11
10
10
8
9
10
8
10
11
9
Feels °C
13
15
10
10
10
8
10
11
7
8
8
6
5
6
5
7
7
5
7
8
5
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Blackhead Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Blackhead provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Blackhead can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Blackhead surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Blackhead) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Blackhead may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Are you planning a holiday in The Wairarapa? If you are looking for accommodation near Blackhead, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in The Wairarapa, consider staying in Hastings which is 77 km (48 miles) away. Other places in and around The Wairarapa where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Palmerston North which is 89 km (55 miles) away and Napier, 94 km (58 miles) away.

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