Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, S swell with 4,302 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Blacks Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Blacks Reef.
We’ve got a solid run of surf starting now, but it’s a tale of two halves. The first few days are where the real action is, with a big pulse of energy that’s gonna require some experience. The water temperature is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the booties. The best waves are definitely at the start of the period, with a couple of standout windows.
The first call is Wednesday morning, September 2nd. We’ve got a proper 8ft S swell rolling in with a 14-second period, packing a massive punch of energy (3076). The wind is a light NW cross-off, so the surface is clean. This is excellent surf, but it’s big and powerful – strictly for experienced surfers. The moderate wave energy (4137) continues into Wednesday afternoon, still over 8ft from the S, with a 17-second period, making it a very long period groundswell. That long period will make it wall up nicely at this reef, but the size keeps it in the expert zone. The wind stays light and cross-off.
Thursday morning, September 3rd, is still a good option. The swell has dropped a bit to 6ft from the S, period 13 seconds, and it’s still clean. The combined energy (1077) is still strong. Thursday afternoon, though, is a real standout. The swell is a very manageable 5ft from the S, the period is still a solid 13 seconds, and the wind goes glassy, N at 3 mph. That’s the kind of clean, glassy afternoon that makes the reef look like a pool. The energy (613) is moderate, but the conditions are top-notch.
After that, the swell drops off hard. Friday through to the middle of the following week sees a lot of small, weak swell (often under 3ft) and a lot of poor conditions. There’s a blip on Monday afternoon, September 7th, with a 10ft SSW windswell, but it’s coming with a 22 mph SSW onshore and rain – that’s a mess. The next real standout is a full week later, on Saturday afternoon, September 12th. The swell rebuilds to 5ft from the S, period 13 seconds, and the energy is back up to 1322. The wind goes glassy again, SSW at 3 mph. That’s another window of perfection for the experienced crew.
The very end of the forecast, Monday morning, September 14th, shows a huge 12ft S swell (2184 energy), but the notes say it’s predicted to be too big for this break. Even with light wind, that’s one for the big-wave specialists only.
So, the two standouts to circle on your calendar: Thursday afternoon, September 3rd, for the clean, glassy, medium-sized swell, and Saturday afternoon, September 12th, for the same perfect conditions with a little more power. The rest of the run is best spent fixing dings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 14 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 8 | S 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | S 16 | SSW 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2073 | 4137 | 2346 | 1077 | 613 | 268 | 146 | 72 | 29 | 27 | 51 | 79 | 100 | 62 | 97 | 46 | 1092 | 1704 | 816 | 494 | 486 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:13AM1.70m | 9:40PM1.69m | 9:59AM1.73m | 10:30PM1.68m | 10:50AM1.74m | 11:22PM1.67m | 11:46AM1.74m | 00:17AM1.65m | 12:46PM1.73m | 1:15AM1.63m | 1:45PM1.73m | 2:15AM1.61m | 2:43PM1.74m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:28PM0.25m | 3:52AM0.23m | 4:20PM0.25m | 4:42AM0.24m | 5:13PM0.25m | 5:34AM0.23m | 6:09PM0.23m | 6:29AM0.21m | 7:08PM0.21m | 7:26AM0.19m | 8:07PM0.18m | 8:26AM0.16m | 9:05PM0.15m | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 8 | S 9 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSW 17 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 7 |
2073 | 4137 | 2346 | 1077 | 613 | 268 | 146 | 72 | 29 | 27 | 51 | 79 | 100 | 45 | 97 | 18 | 10 | 1704 | 816 | 494 | 2 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | NE 9 | NNE 4 | NE 9 | NE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | SSW 6 | S 15 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | SSW 18 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 8 | E 15 |
1003 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 62 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | — | ENE 9 | — | — | ENE 10 | S 20 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 4 | S 8 | S 16 | — | — | E 16 | E 16 | E 18 |
13 | — | 8 | — | — | 10 | 8 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 46 | — | — | 5 | 5 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 4 | W 4 | WNW 3 | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NW 3 | NW 2 | NE 6 | — | SSW 8 | — | — | — | S 9 |
— | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 72 | — | 1092 | — | — | — | 486 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 33 | 10 | 103 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 114 | 44 | 0 | 3 | 73 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Blacks Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Blacks Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Blacks Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Blacks Reef 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 (Blacks Reef) 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 Blacks Reef 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.
Blacks Reef is 50 km (31 miles) from the city of Gisborne. If you plan a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Gisborne. Gisborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











