Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.7°C
1.1° 

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 13 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SSW swell with 1,664 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Mon 14th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Best Surf 9AM (Mon 14th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Most Powerful 3PM (Fri 18th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Blacks Reef. This is a beginner-friendly reef break that’s exposed to southerly swell, and it’s very consistent, so you can usually count on something to ride. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than what’s normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

We kick off on Monday the 14th of September with some solid surf. The morning is looking excellent for experienced surfers: a 7ft southerly swell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the wind is dead calm – glassy conditions. That’s a treat. The combined swell energy is strong at (1338). The afternoon stays clean with a 6ft southerly swell and a light cross-off breeze, still plenty of fun for the crew who know what they’re doing.

Tuesday the 15th sees the swell drop a bit. The morning has a 5ft south swell, still glassy with that NNE breeze, making for some clean, fun waves. The energy drops to moderate (492). The afternoon gets a bit windier with a 12 mph cross-off, and the swell slips to 4ft – still surfable, but not as good.

Wednesday the 16th is a real drop-off. We’re looking at a small 3ft SSE swell in the morning, and the energy is weak (125). The wind is light offshore, so the waves will be clean, but they’ll be very ordinary. The afternoon is much the same, just smaller.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th stay small and unremarkable, with the swell barely scraping 3ft. The energy is weak, below 150. Friday afternoon though, things get a bit ugly. An 12ft SSW swell rolls in but it’s got a strong cross-onshore wind at 16 mph, making for choppy, poor conditions. Not one to bother with.

The weekend (19th and 20th September) is a write-off. The swell is small, the winds are onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy stays moderate but messy. You’d be better off doing something else.

There’s a bit of a gap here until Monday the 21st, when we get a small window. The morning shows a 2ft south swell with a 12-second period, clean with a light cross-off wind. The energy is weak (214), but it’s surfable.

Then things get interesting again around the 23rd of September. Wednesday the 23rd has a massive 13ft southerly swell in the morning with an 11-second period and light cross-shore wind. The energy is very strong (2796). But – and this is a big but – this swell is too big for Blacks Reef. This is a beginner-friendly spot, and over 8ft it’s expert-only territory. This is well over that. The afternoon gets even bigger at 15ft with a 12-second period and energy at (4569). Same story: too big for the break.

Thursday the 24th is even more colossal. A 13ft south swell in the morning with glassy conditions, energy at (5120). The afternoon hits 16ft with a cross-off breeze, and the energy is massive at (11949). This is for the brave and the experienced only, and even then, it’s a full-on, heavy day.

Friday the 25th starts with an 12ft southerly swell and a strong cross-shore wind, energy at (3185). Still too big and messy. The afternoon drops to 8ft, but it’s still on the edge of what’s manageable here.

Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th are poor again, with strong onshore winds and messy conditions.

The last real highlight comes on Monday the 28th of September. The morning shows an 12ft southerly swell with a light cross-off wind and clean conditions. The energy is strong (1932). Again, this is too big for beginners. The afternoon is more manageable at 7ft with a light offshore wind and energy at (1003) – this would be excellent for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful waves.

All in all, the standout session is Monday the 14th of September – glassy, clean, solid 7ft swell with strong energy. That’s the one to circle. The late-month big swells (23rd-25th) are impressive but dangerous for this spot, and the rest is mostly small or windy.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Fri afternoon). Mainly fresh winds.

Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.1
S
12
1.9
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.4
S
11
1.3
S
10
1.1
S
9
0.9
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
9
0.8
SE
12
0.8
SE
10
0.7
SE
9
0.6
SE
9
0.8
SE
13
3.5
SSW
9
2.2
SSW
8
1.2
S
7
0.7
S
15
0.6
S
13
1
S
14
0.9
S
13
0.9
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1333
1145
699
434
332
207
108
68
164
117
85
53
239
1664
585
159
212
119
416
289
239
Wind (km/h)
0
NNE
10
E
10
N
5
NNE
20
ENE
10
NW
5
WNW
10
E
15
NW
15
NNW
15
N
20
NE
15
W
25
WSW
30
SW
20
SW
5
ESE
10
W
15
W
10
SSE
10
WNW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
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
11:34AM1.60m
11:55PM1.52m
12:25PM1.54m
00:41AM1.44m
Low Tide
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
5:24AM0.45m
5:53PM0.44m
6:09AM0.46m
6:41PM0.45m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:09
6:07
6:07
6:05
6:03
6:01
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:02
 mm
4
14
1
Temp °C
12
12
11
14
15
12
16
16
12
16
16
13
15
12
11
13
14
14
16
16
13
Feels °C
10
9
9
12
11
9
14
13
9
13
13
10
11
7
5
10
11
11
13
14
11
  • 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