
Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,797 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period with SSE 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 (Aug 10) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, so listen up.
We start things off on Monday the 10th, but honestly, it’s not worth paddling out. We’ve got some small, weak surf in the water, with the energy sitting around 179, and the wind is just messing it up. It’s pretty ordinary, not the kind of conditions that get you excited.
Tuesday the 11th rolls in with a bit more size, pushing 5ft, and the energy jumps up to 551, but the wind is blowing straight onshore and it’s choppy. It’s just poor. You’d be fighting it the whole time.
Then we get a little window on Wednesday the 12th. The morning looks workable with a clean 4ft SE swell and light offshore wind. It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s surfable. The afternoon gets a bit messier with the wind picking up.
Thursday the 13th morning is similar, another clean-ish window with a 4ft SE swell and light offshore breeze. But again, it’s not breaking any records. The wind swings around and gets tricky in the afternoon.
Friday the 14th is a complete write-off. Rain and building wind, and the swell is just not organized. Don’t even bother.
Now, here’s where things start to get interesting. Saturday the 15th. The morning is looking good with a solid 7ft ESE swell and a gentle offshore wind. It’s clean and should be fun. But the standout is the afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and the swell jumps to 10ft of pure SE energy. The combined energy is a strong 1302, and it’s going to be excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the first week. If you know what you’re doing, get out there.
Sunday the 16th is a no-go. The wind swings onshore and gets fresh, and the swell gets lumpy. It's a mess.
Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are just big and stormy. We’re talking 18ft and 12ft of onshore slop with strong winds. This is not for the faint of heart, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing day than a surfing day. The waves are just too big and blown out.
Wednesday the 19th is still big at 12ft, and although the wind and tide are favorable, it’s just too big for this spot. It’s a pass.
Now, for the second week, we’ve got another standout. Thursday the 20th. The morning is all-time. The wind is glassy, and the swell is a clean 10ft from the SSE. The energy is massive at 1908. This is another one for the experienced crew only. It’s going to be a serious session. The afternoon is a bit more marginal with a light cross-onshore.
The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd sees the swell ease off to that 6ft to 7ft range. The period is long, around 12 seconds, which is nice, but the winds are a bit more cross-shore or cross-on. The Sunday morning looks glassy and clean with a 5ft ESE swell. It could be a fun, smaller wave day.
Then, to cap it all off, we have Monday the 24th. The swell is tiny, only 2ft, but the period is a very long 19 seconds. The wind is dead calm and it’s glassy. It’s a long-period groundswell, which can be tricky at a beach break, but it could offer some clean if tiny waves. The energy is moderate at 521.
So, in the end, the best on offer are those two windows: Saturday afternoon the 15th and Thursday morning the 20th. Both are for experienced surfers only, with powerful, clean swells. The rest is a mix of small, windy, or just too big and messy.
Keep an eye on the long-range stuff, but for now, those are your moments.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Fri night, light winds from the SSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
173 | 131 | 131 | 335 | 317 | 161 | 193 | 71 | 309 | 206 | 155 | 98 | 93 | 396 | 555 | 795 | 673 | 404 | 520 | 561 | 566 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:59PM1.81m | 3:29AM1.69m | 3:57PM1.84m | 4:28AM1.70m | 4:56PM1.86m | 5:26AM1.71m | 5:54PM1.87m | 6:24AM1.72m | 6:49PM1.87m | 7:19AM1.73m | 7:41PM1.84m | 8:11AM1.75m | 8:31PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:21PM0.19m | 9:43AM0.16m | 10:20PM0.15m | 10:43AM0.10m | 11:18PM0.11m | 11:39AM0.06m | 00:16AM0.09m | 12:32PM0.05m | 1:11AM0.09m | 1:24PM0.08m | 2:02AM0.11m | 2:17PM0.13m | 2:51AM0.16m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 3 | -1 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
173 | 131 | 108 | 245 | 317 | 161 | 193 | 71 | 309 | 206 | 155 | 98 | 93 | 20 | 18 | 795 | 673 | 404 | 520 | 561 | 566 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 6 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 7 | S 10 | S 7 | S 10 | S 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | S 16 | S 15 | S 18 | S 18 | S 18 | S 17 | SSW 17 | SE 16 |
4 | 5 | 131 | 242 | 170 | 88 | 56 | 35 | 52 | 30 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 4 | 24 | 24 | 171 | 153 | 216 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 16 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 17 | NE 6 | E 10 | S 11 | SE 13 | S 19 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | — | S 18 | SE 13 | SE 13 | NE 8 | S 21 | SSW 20 | S 20 |
5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 53 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 21 | — | 6 | 7 | 7 | 78 | 79 | 133 | 31 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 8 | — | — | NNE 9 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | ESE 8 | — | — | SW 3 | — | SSW 5 | S 7 |
2 | — | 8 | 335 | — | — | 7 | 26 | 27 | 18 | 49 | 97 | 245 | 396 | 555 | — | — | 2 | — | 161 | 377 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 127 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 79 | 91 |
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.











