Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.3°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 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 3,975 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) 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 0.9m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Fri 28th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 13s
Best Surf 3AM (Wed 2nd Sep)8ft (2.5m) 12s
Most Powerful12PM (Tue 1st Sep)11ft (3.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get into it.

Alright, we’ve got Blacks Reef on the radar, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag here over the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a solid run of surf, but we have to work around some feisty winds.

The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than you’d expect for this time of year. You’ll want a decent wetsuit, no doubt about that.

The first decent window kicks off on Friday, August 28th. Friday morning is looking sweet. We’ve got a 5ft south swell rolling in with a 13-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, coming in at 915 (moderate wave energy), and we’ve got a clean, offshore breeze from the NE. This is the kind of morning where you want to be early. The afternoon stays clean too, with a 4ft south swell and a gentle offshore wind. That’s a solid start.

Saturday, August 29th, the swell drops a bit to around 3ft from the south, but it’s still clean with offshore and cross-offshore winds, so you’ll get some fun, smaller waves. Good for a longboard or a fish.

Sunday the 30th, the party winds down. We’re looking at really small 2ft to 2ft swell and the winds switch around, making it messy. That’s a good day to clean the wax off your boards.

Monday, August 31st, the swell cranks up again, but the wind turns nasty. You’re looking at an 8ft to 10ft south swell, but with a strong cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy mess. The combined energy jumps to 3297 on the afternoon, which is strong, but the quality is just not there for a good paddle. This looks more like a day for the kite surfers to have a go.

Tuesday, September 1st, is a write-off. The wind is howling and onshore, with the swell sitting around 8ft. Don’t even bother.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday, September 2nd, is your standout. Honestly, this looks like the best day of the entire outlook. The swell is still a very solid 7ft from the south (1284 combined energy, strong), but the wind goes glassy. We’re talking a slight air, cross-offshore from the NNW. That’s going to clean up the reef beautifully. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The reef will be handling the size, and with that period of 12 seconds, the waves will have plenty of punch. The afternoon stays clean at 6ft. If you have some time off, this is the morning to be out there.

After that, the trend is a slow fade. We get another fun, clean day on Thursday, September 3rd, with 3ft to 4ft south swell and light offshore winds. Good for a cruise.

Friday, September 4th through to Tuesday, September 8th, the swell drops way off. We’re talking tiny, knee-to-waist high waves. A few days of clean bump, but not much to get excited about.

Then, look out for Thursday, September 10th. The models are hinting at a big pulse. The morning shows 10ft south swell at 13 seconds (2730 combined energy), and the wind is cross-offshore. That’s excellent surf for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets even bigger, an 12ft south swell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 5823. But the model also says it might be too big for Black’s Reef at that point. If it comes in, it’ll be a sight to see, but only for the absolute top-tier crew. The wind turns bad on Friday the 11th, washing it out.

The last few days of the outlook, from September 10th onward, are promising for another big swell, but keep an eye on the wind. It’s a long-range call, so don’t book the time off just yet.

So, to wrap it up: Wednesday, September 2nd is your golden ticket. Clean, solid south swell with near-perfect winds. Thursday, September 10th is the other big one for the brave, but keep the wind check handy.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 6°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning).

Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
3
2
0
0
3
4
3
3
2
2
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
S
13
1.3
S
13
1.1
S
12
0.9
S
12
0.9
S
11
0.8
S
11
0.6
S
10
0.5
S
10
0.4
SSW
13
2.5
SSW
8
3
S
14
3
S
14
2.4
S
13
2.4
S
13
3
S
13
2.1
S
12
1.8
S
12
1.4
S
12
1.2
S
11
1
S
11
0.9
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
901
543
350
216
202
154
78
50
58
765
3297
3135
2084
2060
2805
1269
902
538
369
257
189
Wind (km/h)
20
NE
15
N
15
N
15
N
15
NNE
10
NNW
10
WNW
10
WSW
25
W
15
WSW
15
SW
35
WNW
30
WSW
25
SSW
10
WNW
5
NNW
5
ENE
15
NW
10
NW
10
NE
15
NW
Wind State
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
5:47PM1.53m
6:11AM1.46m
6:33PM1.57m
6:58AM1.52m
7:20PM1.62m
7:44AM1.59m
8:05PM1.66m
8:29AM1.65m
8:52PM1.69m
9:13AM1.70m
9:40PM1.69m
9:59AM1.73m
10:30PM1.68m
Low Tide
11:32AM0.32m
00:03AM0.30m
12:17PM0.28m
00:49AM0.26m
1:02PM0.25m
1:35AM0.24m
1:48PM0.24m
2:20AM0.23m
2:37PM0.24m
3:05AM0.23m
3:28PM0.25m
3:52AM0.23m
4:20PM0.25m
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:42
5:43
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:46
 mm
1
2
1
3
Temp °C
15
16
14
17
15
13
14
16
14
12
14
14
15
9
8
12
15
12
18
19
15
Feels °C
11
13
11
14
13
11
11
13
8
8
10
6
9
3
4
11
12
8
16
16
11
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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