Surf Forecasts:
Blackhead surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with 2,612 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 2.4m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.7m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Blackhead in the next 16 days are 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blackhead over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming.
We’ve got a solid run of surf, but it’s not all perfect. The first real swell hits on Wednesday, August 5th, with a 12ft southerly groundswell. That’s a lot of power – 3816 energy – but the wind is cross-off, and the water’s at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. That’s a notable chill. For the experienced crew, Thursday morning the 6th is cleaner with an 8ft south swell and 2862 energy, plus a lighter breeze. The real standout, though, if you can be patient, is Friday the 7th afternoon. That’s when we get a 7ft south swell with a long 14-second period, a light offshore wind, and 2408 energy. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s going to be clean and hollow – a real gem.
This spot is Blackhead, a point. It’s a beginner-friendly break, but it’s inconsistent and can get crowded sometimes. That 7ft on Friday afternoon is pushing into expert territory, but with those conditions, it’s the pick of the week. The long period swell (14 seconds) means it’ll have good shape and power, but it might wall up at the beach; on a point like this, it’ll be a dream.
The weekend stays rideable – Saturday the 8th has 6ft and 5ft, with light winds, and Sunday morning the 9th is still 4ft. But by Sunday afternoon, the wind turns onshore and it gets messy. Then we hit a real lull from Monday the 10th through to about Thursday the 13th – tiny, weak waves, mostly under 3ft, and not worth paddling out for. The combined energy drops to 186 or less. That’s a dead stretch.
Things start to look up again on Saturday the 15th, but it’s messy with strong winds. The real return to form comes on Tuesday the 18th, with an 8ft south swell pushing 2469 energy, and then Wednesday the 19th looks like another standout – 8ft south-southeast swell, 1426 energy, and a clean offshore wind. Again, that’s for the experienced surfers. The point will handle it well, but that’s a lot of water moving.
So, if you’re after the best on offer, aim for Friday the 7th afternoon at Blackhead. That’s the one. The second best is a long-range promise – Wednesday the 19th morning – but that’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Sat morning, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3804 | 2102 | 1466 | 698 | 386 | 1211 | 1914 | 1041 | 911 | 556 | 460 | 353 | 245 | 218 | 173 | 169 | 135 | 392 | 297 | 222 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:32PM1.39m | 10:59AM1.40m | 11:22PM1.40m | 11:52AM1.44m | 00:17AM1.41m | 12:48PM1.48m | 1:13AM1.42m | 1:45PM1.52m | 2:12AM1.43m | 2:44PM1.56m | 3:11AM1.45m | 3:43PM1.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:50AM0.18m | 5:15PM0.19m | 5:39AM0.16m | 6:09PM0.18m | 6:32AM0.14m | 7:06PM0.16m | 7:27AM0.12m | 8:04PM0.13m | 8:24AM0.09m | 9:04PM0.11m | 9:22AM0.06m | 10:03PM0.08m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — |
 | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 18 | SSE 11 | S 11 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 |
| kJ | 12 | 1298 | 1466 | 698 | 386 | 1211 | 1914 | 1041 | 911 | 556 | 460 | 353 | 245 | 218 | 173 | 169 | 135 | 392 | 297 | 222 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 12 | NE 18 | E 18 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 16 | NE 14 | S 14 | NE 13 | S 14 | S 13 | NNE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SE 12 | NE 6 | SW 14 | S 18 |
| kJ | — | 861 | 12 | 6 | 341 | 480 | 268 | 206 | 8 | 106 | 7 | 181 | 173 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 120 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 16 | NE 11 | NE 18 | SE 12 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 11 | — | NE 13 | S 19 | NE 4 | NE 4 | S 12 | S 16 | SE 14 | NE 8 | SW 15 | NE 11 | SW 13 |
| kJ | — | 41 | 5 | 12 | 379 | 284 | 226 | 77 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | NW 4 | WNW 3 | — | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | — | — | NE 6 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 3804 | 2102 | 1379 | 541 | — | — | — | 11 | 8 | — | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 19 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 21 | 156 | 21 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Blackhead surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest