Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.5°C
1.3° 

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


Blacks Reef surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, S swell with 3,081 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 12s 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 12s period. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Mon 14th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 12s
Best Surf 3AM (Mon 14th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 12s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sun 13th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty here, and I’m looking at what’s on the table for Blacks Reef. It’s a familiar spot, a reef break that's exposed to the south, and right off the bat, the water temp here is running about average for the time of year, so nothing weird to report there.

The pattern starts off a bit funky. Sunday (Sept 13) is a write-off — we’ve got a solid 8ft to 8ft S/SSW swell pushing through but it’s coming with a cross-onshore wind that’s got the surface chopped right up. The combined energy is strong (2289 to 3756), but with that wind and a high tide issue, it’s not one for the paddle. Honestly, with that setup, a kiter might be having more fun.

Monday (Sept 14) is where it starts to get interesting. Morning comes in with glassy conditions and a 7ft south swell at 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, moderate energy (1315 combined), and with an offshore breeze from the ENE, the faces are going to be clean. This one’s for experienced surfers, as the size is pushing the edge for beginners, but the quality is there. The afternoon holds up clean with a 6ft south swell and a light cross-off breeze.

Tuesday (Sept 15) sees the swell dropping off to 4ft. It’s still clean with a light offshore, but the energy is stepping down (447 combined). It’s surfable, just not the standout.

We get a lull through Wednesday and Thursday (Sept 16-17) where the waves shrink to under 3ft. The energy is low (under 130 combined), and the surf is very ordinary. There is a couple of glassy windows on the Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, but the swell is just too small to get excited about.

The best on offer looks like Friday morning (Sept 18). The swell bumps back up to 4ft from the SE, period at 13 seconds, and the combined energy is solid at 520. It’s glassy, clean, and the wind is from the NNE at just 3 mph. That’s a proper window for Blacks Reef. The crowd potential is there — this spot can get busy — so get in early.

Saturday (Sept 19) turns ugly. Strong cross-onshore and onshore winds with a short-period 7ft S swell that’s just messy. Not one to bother with.

Sunday (Sept 20) morning has a small clean window with a 3ft SSW groundswell (14sec period), worth a look if you’re keen to get wet, but it’s marginal.

Then we hit a bit of a gap. Monday through to Thursday (Sept 21-24) is a mix of poor surf and strong winds, with one standout exception: Thursday morning (Sept 24) has a 10ft S swell but with fresh cross-onshore winds making it lumpy and dangerous — experts only, and even then it’s not pretty.

The second standout is Friday morning (Sept 25). We get a glassy, dead-calm start with a 8ft S swell (8-second period). The combined energy is 932, and the wind is zero — dead glass. It’s a short-period swell, so expect it to be a bit crumbly at a reef, but with those conditions, the waves will be breaking clean. Bigger side, so not for the faint of heart.

The last few days (Sept 26-28) see the swell dropping back with a mix of long-period energy (16-21 seconds) but with cross-shore winds and moderate combined energy. It’s marginal but surfable if you pick your window.

Overall, Monday (Sept 14) morning and Friday (Sept 25) morning are the true standouts. Clean, solid size, and the right wind. Get on it.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
5
1
2
3
4
4
3
2
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
2
3
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
S
15
2.3
S
15
2.4
SSW
14
2.4
S
12
2.1
S
12
1.9
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.3
S
11
1.2
S
10
1
S
9
0.8
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
9
0.6
SE
8
0.6
SE
11
0.6
SE
10
0.8
SE
15
1.2
SE
13
1.1
SE
12
0.9
SE
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4201
2289
2202
1520
1311
1127
699
389
296
175
106
77
57
92
79
309
488
392
236
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
20
W
20
S
5
SW
5
ENE
10
E
10
N
5
N
20
ENE
10
NNW
5
NNW
15
E
10
WNW
15
WNW
5
N
10
NNE
5
NNE
5
W
15
NNW
Wind State
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
6:56AM1.71m
7:15PM1.74m
7:45AM1.75m
8:04PM1.73m
8:30AM1.77m
8:52PM1.71m
9:14AM1.76m
9:39PM1.68m
9:58AM1.72m
10:25PM1.64m
10:45AM1.66m
11:11PM1.59m
Low Tide
00:45AM0.17m
1:02PM0.18m
1:33AM0.22m
1:52PM0.24m
2:19AM0.27m
2:43PM0.29m
3:05AM0.33m
3:31PM0.34m
3:51AM0.39m
4:19PM0.39m
4:38AM0.42m
5:05PM0.42m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:11
6:09
6:07
6:07
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
1
Temp °C
10
13
13
11
12
12
10
15
15
12
16
16
13
16
16
13
13
15
11
Feels °C
9
9
8
8
11
9
8
12
11
9
14
13
11
13
14
10
12
14
7
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Blacks Reef:

join our community of surf reporters

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 Blacks Reef 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 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.

Nearest locationNearest