Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, SSW swell with 5,934 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 3.0m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty coming to you from right here, looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Let's get into it.
Alright, we've got a bit of a mixed bag coming up, but there are a few windows where it's going to get properly good. The main event is definitely shaping up for early September, but there's some solid, bigger stuff to close out the month too.
We start off a bit average. Monday the 31st of August is a write-off. We've got a fresh cross-shore wind and a messy, lumpy 3ft to 5ft south swell. The combined energy is moderate (552 to 1150), but the conditions are just poor. Not worth paddling out for.
Tuesday the 1st of September is a no-go for the paddle crew. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the south with a moderate 13-second period, and the energy is very strong (3104 to 3214). That's expert-only territory, and the onshore wind is making a mess of it. This setup looks way more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone with a paddle.
Then we hit the first true standout. Wednesday the 2nd of September is where it's at. We've got a 8ft south swell (period 14 seconds) swinging up to a 8ft south swell by the afternoon. The energy is very strong, hitting 4185 in the afternoon. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, with a light offshore in the morning. This is prime Blacks Reef. It's a solid, powerful groundswell, and with that glassy wind, it's going to be clean and punchy. This is for experienced surfers only at this size, and don't forget, this spot is exposed and can get crowded. The water temp is sitting at 54°F, which is a fair bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a good hood and gloves.
The rest of that first week tapers off quickly. Thursday and Friday are smaller and weaker, with the energy dropping back to moderate (548-867) and then low (73-114). The first weekend (5th & 6th) is pretty ordinary, with weak 4ft to 4ft swell and only one star ratings. Not worth getting excited about.
The following week starts wild. Monday the 7th of September gets a big pulse of 12ft to 15ft swell from the SSW, but it's onshore and lumpy. Then Tuesday the 8th of September sees the swell peak at a massive 15ft from the south. The energy is extremely strong (4413). The wind is favouring it a bit, but the swell is just too big for this break. That's a hard pass.
We get a decent drop back on Wednesday and Thursday the 9th and 10th. Thursday the 10th of September has a little moment in the morning with a glassy 4ft swell from the ESE. It's small, but would be clean.
The second weekend is quiet again, with small swell and nothing special. Then, another promising window opens up on Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September. That Tuesday the 15th is a real standout in the long-range forecast. We're looking at a 8ft to 8ft south swell with a very long 16-second period. The energy is very strong (3057 to 3201). With a light offshore wind in the morning and clean conditions, this has the potential to be an absolute gem. Keep an eye on it, but remember it's two weeks out, so hold off on calling in sick just yet.
Overall, the best bet is Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon for glassy, powerful surf. The other one to watch is Tuesday the 15th of September for a clean, long-period groundswell.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 17 | S 15 | SSW 9 | S 13 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 7 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
470 | 847 | 1382 | 3104 | 3214 | 3728 | 2073 | 4185 | 2185 | 865 | 546 | 224 | 112 | 71 | 100 | 128 | 220 | 225 | 139 | 55 | 22 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross |
High Tide | 8:05PM1.66m | 8:29AM1.65m | 8:52PM1.69m | 9:13AM1.70m | 9:40PM1.69m | 9:59AM1.73m | 10:30PM1.68m | 10:50AM1.74m | 11:22PM1.67m | 11:46AM1.74m | 00:17AM1.65m | 12:46PM1.73m | 1:15AM1.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:48PM0.24m | 2:20AM0.23m | 2:37PM0.24m | 3:05AM0.23m | 3:28PM0.25m | 3:52AM0.23m | 4:20PM0.25m | 4:42AM0.24m | 5:13PM0.25m | 5:34AM0.23m | 6:09PM0.23m | 6:29AM0.21m | 7:08PM0.21m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 15 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 17 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | NE 5 | SSW 7 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 7 |
470 | 847 | 8 | 22 | 3214 | 3728 | 2073 | 4185 | 2185 | 865 | 546 | 224 | 112 | 71 | 4 | 128 | 220 | 225 | 139 | 55 | 84 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | S 10 | NE 9 | — | ENE 10 | NE 10 | S 18 | NE 9 | NE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | NE 10 | E 10 | NE 4 | S 16 | S 9 | S 15 | NE 5 | NE 4 | S 17 | SSW 10 |
77 | 267 | 20 | — | 20 | 14 | 885 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 3 | 23 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 10 | — | E 10 | E 10 | S 15 | NE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 17 |
53 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | 2 | 2 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | W 4 | SSW 9 | S 13 | — | — | NE 9 | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | N 3 | NW 3 | SW 7 | NW 3 | NE 6 | NNE 5 | NW 3 | NNE 4 | WNW 2 |
5 | 36 | 1382 | 3104 | — | — | 22 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 100 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 44 | 10 | 75 | 79 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 419 |
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.











