
Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, S swell with 4,345 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period with E 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 9s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got on the cards.
Alright, we're looking at a bit of a mixed bag here. Things kick off this Saturday, the 4th of July, with some fun waves at Blacks Reef. It's a reef break that's exposed to the south swell, and the water's sitting at about 55°, which is a touch colder than what we'd normally expect for this time of year.
This Saturday morning, we've got a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the east with a 12-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate at 608. It's a solid setup for a beginner-friendly wave. The afternoon cleans up even more with a true offshore wind from the NNE, holding up a 5ft east swell.
Sunday the 5th looks good too. The morning still has a clean 4ft wave with a moderate offshore breeze, and it stays glassy and clean into the afternoon as the wind drops. Easy paddling and fun waves for everyone.
Now, here's the standout. Tuesday the 7th of July is looking like the pick of the first week. We get a gorgeous 6ft east swell, a 10-second period, and it's glassy – dead flat wind – with very good surf conditions. The combined wave energy is sitting at a solid 766. That's the one to circle on the calendar. Expect it to be clean, consistent, and it is often crowded here, so get in early.
Things get a bit messy from Wednesday the 8th. The swell builds but the wind swings onshore, making it choppy and lumpy. There's a big spike in energy by the 10th and 11th, with a 13ft south swell, but it's accompanied by strong onshore winds and rain. That's expert-only territory and even then, it's not going to be pretty. That kind of wind and size makes it more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.
After that rough patch, the surf settles down again. The good news is that by Tuesday the 14th of July, we're back to glassy conditions with a clean 5ft swell. Then Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th both serve up very good conditions with clean, offshore winds and a long-period 4ft to 4ft south swell, with wave energy in the moderate to strong range. That Thursday, with a 15-second period, is a long-period groundswell, which at a reef break like this will produce some nice, lined-up waves. That's another true standout, but it's 12 days out, so treat it as a promising long-range call. It won't be for the beginners, but for anyone who knows their way around a reef at low tide, it's worth the wait.
After that, the energy drops right off. By the 18th and 19th of July, we're into very small, weak surf with poor conditions. There's a solid gap of a few days with nothing recommended to end the run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSE by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 12 | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 22 | S 20 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
604 | 467 | 3 | 230 | 200 | 188 | 18 | 31 | 497 | 612 | 614 | 671 | 903 | 761 | 561 | 482 | 942 | 452 | 708 | 2301 | 4231 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 9:00PM1.57m | 9:24AM1.48m | 9:44PM1.57m | 10:05AM1.50m | 10:30PM1.58m | 10:48AM1.53m | 11:16PM1.60m | 11:34AM1.57m | 00:04AM1.63m | 12:26PM1.63m | 00:54AM1.67m | 1:22PM1.70m | 1:49AM1.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:42PM0.37m | 3:19AM0.32m | 3:27PM0.35m | 4:02AM0.31m | 4:14PM0.35m | 4:46AM0.31m | 5:01PM0.35m | 5:32AM0.31m | 5:49PM0.35m | 6:18AM0.31m | 6:42PM0.36m | 7:07AM0.30m | 7:39PM0.34m | ||||||||
7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
— | 4:58 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 22 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
Temp °C | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 11 | S 12 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 7 | S 14 | S 20 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | SSW 17 | — |
604 | 467 | 3 | 230 | 200 | 123 | 4 | 31 | 497 | 612 | 614 | 671 | 903 | 761 | 561 | 482 | 624 | 452 | 432 | 170 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 17 | E 10 | S 22 | S 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | — | — |
4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 188 | 9 | 3 | 37 | 57 | 51 | 70 | 56 | 35 | 58 | 96 | 120 | 40 | 104 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | — | — | S 16 | — | S 16 | SW 21 | — | S 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | S 16 | SSW 16 | S 20 | SSW 13 | — | — |
2 | — | — | 5 | — | 5 | 18 | — | 103 | 97 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 60 | 33 | 48 | 85 | 30 | 16 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 4 | ENE 11 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | S 8 | ESE 10 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 9 | S 10 |
— | 29 | 531 | 136 | 94 | 261 | 528 | 600 | 730 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 163 | 942 | 166 | 708 | 2301 | 4231 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 41 | 9 | 99 | 157 | 157 | 162 |
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.










