Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, SSW swell with 1,000 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with SSW 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 (Sep 05) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 15s. 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 2.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this 16-day window is a tough one for Blacks Reef. The run of good surf is real thin, and there’s a big gap of nothing worth chasing for a while. Let’s go through it chronologically.
The first real standout is Wednesday morning, the 9th of September. I’m talking about a glassy, clean morning with 5ft swell from the S, period at 9 seconds. The water’s sitting at 55°, which is about 1° cooler than usual for this time of year—nothing extreme, just a touch of autumn chill. The combined energy is moderate (412). For a reef break that’s exposed to the S, this is your best shot. It’s not huge, but it’s clean, and the glassy conditions make it a real treat. Keep in mind though, Blacks Reef can get crowded often, and with the swell being a bit on the smaller side, you’ll want to pick your peak.
After that, it’s a dry spell. You’ve got some marginal stuff on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, but the winds are cross or cross-on, and the quality just isn’t there. The Tuesday morning (15th) has 6ft from the S with a 9-second period, combined energy moderate (574), but the wind is cross-shore and light. It’s surfable, but not something I’d get excited about. The Tuesday afternoon (15th) jumps to 8ft from the S with a 12-second period (very high energy 2041), but it’s straight onshore—that’s a mess. Not for beginners either, that’s expert territory.
From Thursday the 17th right through to Sunday the 20th, it’s a write-off. Strong winds, onshore, rain, and the swell is all over the place. The combined energy is still moderate to strong (up to 956 on the 20th), but with those winds, it’s just not surfable. If you’re a kite surfer, the 14th and 15th with strong cross-onshore winds and 7ft to 8ft swell might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go.
So, the real takeaway: Wednesday morning the 9th is your only true standout. The rest is a long wait. Don’t hold your breath for the second week—it’s bleak.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 9 | SSW 7 | S 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 18 | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 16 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 16 | S 15 | S 18 | S 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 80 | 42 | 92 | 100 | 104 | 147 | 51 | 44 | 51 | 120 | 833 | 700 | 408 | 234 | 129 | 80 | 58 | 45 | 116 | 314 | 343 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:46AM1.74m | 00:17AM1.65m | 12:46PM1.73m | 1:15AM1.63m | 1:45PM1.73m | 2:15AM1.61m | 2:43PM1.74m | 3:14AM1.61m | 3:41PM1.74m | 4:12AM1.62m | 4:37PM1.75m | 5:08AM1.63m | 5:33PM1.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:09PM0.23m | 6:29AM0.21m | 7:08PM0.21m | 7:26AM0.19m | 8:07PM0.18m | 8:26AM0.16m | 9:05PM0.15m | 9:27AM0.13m | 10:02PM0.13m | 10:25AM0.11m | 10:59PM0.13m | 11:19AM0.11m | 11:53PM0.14m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SSW 7 | S 10 | SSW 10 | S 8 | S 17 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 8 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | NE 7 | S 15 | S 18 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 80 | 42 | 92 | 100 | 37 | 147 | 36 | 33 | 51 | 120 | 397 | 700 | 408 | 234 | 129 | 80 | 58 | 22 | 116 | 314 | 59 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | SSW 9 | S 12 | S 18 | SSW 18 | E 10 | SSW 16 | S 16 | NE 5 | S 7 | SE 7 | NE 9 | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 5 | SSE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | S 19 |
| kJ | 17 | 28 | 78 | 25 | 104 | 2 | 51 | 44 | 10 | 25 | 12 | 21 | 12 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 343 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | S 15 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | S 9 | W 3 | — | S 15 | NE 5 | NE 6 | E 17 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | ENE 7 | S 16 | S 20 | SSE 7 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 17 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 18 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 45 | 68 | 5 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | — | NW 2 | NNW 3 | NNW 2 | N 3 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NW 3 | — | SSW 9 | — | — | — | NE 4 | NNE 4 | — | W 3 | SW 6 | SSW 5 | W 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 29 | 3 | — | 833 | — | — | — | 11 | 8 | — | 3 | 102 | 33 | 24 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 19 | 89 | 73 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 103 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
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.
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