
Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, S swell with 7,159 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 9s. 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 3.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening at Blacks Reef over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, we’re in a bit of a lull. The surf is small and the conditions are just average. There’s a little bit of clean surf on offer, but it’s honestly nothing to get excited about just yet. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real standout is going to be Friday, July 17th. We’ve got a solid 5ft south-east swell rolling in with a nice long 15 second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is going to be glassy, absolutely dead calm in the afternoon, which means it’s gonna be clean as a whistle. The combined energy is sitting at 1243, which is a solid moderate pulse. This is a reef break, so that long period will really wrap in nicely. The offshore direction is from the north, and the optimum swell direction is from the south, so it’s a perfect match. The waves will be punchy and well-shaped. This is definitely the best on offer for experienced surfers – the size is over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners. Crowds are often here, so expect company.
Then we hit a bit of a rough patch. Saturday the 18th through Sunday the 19th, the wind gets messy and onshore, and the swell gets bumpy and blown out. Then Monday the 20th, we’ve got some 8ft short-period stuff (8 seconds) with cross-onshore wind – it’s gonna be junky and choppy. Not worth paddling out for.
Now, here’s the long-range promise. From Tuesday, July 21st, all the way through to the end of the window, the swell just goes nuts. We’re talking 13ft to 20ft east-south-east swell with moderate energy readings in the thousands (up to 10938). That’s way too big for Blacks Reef – it’s a reef break and that size is dangerous for all but the most expert charger. The wind is actually clean or cross-off most of those days, but the swell is just too much. It’s a real shame, because if it were half the size, it’d be an all-timer.
The one exception in that big swell window is Sunday, July 26th morning. We’ve got a 10ft east swell with glassy conditions and a 12 second period. That’s still big, but it’s a bit more manageable, and the conditions are excellent. Still, only for the experts.
So, to wrap it up: your best bet is Friday, July 17th. The rest of the window is either tiny and average, or too big and wild. Keep your eyes on the forecasts for that 17th – it’s the one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Sat 18 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | SE 9 | S 10 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | SE 18 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 14 | S 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
338 | 343 | 222 | 216 | 135 | 122 | 166 | 73 | 45 | 20 | 48 | 49 | 98 | 186 | 154 | 865 | 1120 | 1171 | 1212 | 1048 | 3751 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | on |
High Tide | 2:46AM1.73m | 3:16PM1.84m | 3:46AM1.75m | 4:14PM1.90m | 4:46AM1.78m | 5:14PM1.94m | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:14PM1.96m | 6:44AM1.79m | 7:11PM1.96m | 7:42AM1.78m | 8:06PM1.93m | 8:36AM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:58AM0.26m | 9:39PM0.25m | 10:00AM0.22m | 10:38PM0.19m | 11:01AM0.15m | 11:37PM0.13m | 11:59AM0.08m | 00:36AM0.09m | 12:53PM0.04m | 1:34AM0.06m | 1:47PM0.03m | 2:28AM0.06m | 2:42PM0.06m | ||||||||
— | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | |
— | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | S 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 |
338 | 231 | 178 | 203 | 120 | 99 | 166 | 46 | 25 | 10 | 48 | 49 | 98 | 186 | 123 | 865 | 1120 | 1171 | 1212 | 1048 | 813 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | ESE 9 | S 12 | SSW 12 | ESE 10 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | S 17 | S 5 | S 16 | SE 6 | SE 6 | S 12 | S 24 | ESE 14 |
334 | 343 | 222 | 216 | 135 | 122 | 49 | 73 | 45 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 16 | 20 | 60 | 30 | 145 | 284 | 845 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | S 7 | S 7 | E 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | E 15 | ESE 10 | NE 4 | S 9 | S 16 | S 19 | ENE 5 | SE 18 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 21 | S 11 | — |
31 | 43 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 30 | 2 | 154 | — | 24 | 42 | 9 | 62 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | — | — | N 2 | NNE 3 | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NNW 2 | NW 2 | — | WNW 3 | WNW 2 | W 2 | SSE 6 | — | — | — | SW 11 | S 20 |
86 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 87 | — | — | — | 72 | 3751 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 33 | 79 |
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.











