Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 8,076 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s 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 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. 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 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and look at what’s actually gonna be worth paddling out for over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, the first few days are a total washout. We’ve got a proper pulse of southwest wind and some serious size—we’re talking 10ft to 15ft of raw, messy energy. The combined swell energy is massive, hitting 5393 on Wednesday morning, but it’s all for nothing. It’s blown-out, cross-onshore junk. For the average punter, that’s a hard pass. The water’s also a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 54°, so if you are mad enough to go out there, bring the hood.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Friday, August 21st. The wind drops right out, swings to a light cross-off from the NNW, and the swell cleans up beautifully. We’re looking at 6ft of south swell with a very long 16-second period. This is proper groundswell. The energy reading is still solid at 1971, and the conditions are finally clean. This is a standout for experienced surfers. Blacks Reef (Southern California) is exposed to that south swell, and with that long period, it’s going to have some serious lines. The crowd factor is a bit of a worry, as it’s often busy, but for the quality on offer, it might just be worth the fight.
Saturday the 22nd sees the swell back off quickly, dropping to around 4ft and the period shrinking. It’s a bit of a flat spot, and then the following week is pretty patchy. There’s a small window on Tuesday, August 26th with a long-period south swell at 4ft, but it’s marginal at best. The energy is low, and it’s just not worth getting too excited about. The forecast goes quiet for a few days, with some small, weak swells struggling to show any life.
Just as things start to look bleak, the forecast has one last trick up its sleeve. We’re staring at Tuesday, September 2nd being the real highlight of the entire window. We’ve got 5ft of south swell at a very long 17-second period in the morning, building to 6ft in the afternoon. The energy jumps right up to 1693 and then 2362, and the wind is off from the NNW. Light, clean, and glassy. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s more than a week out, so don’t book your flights just yet, but if this holds, it’s going to be the pick of the fortnight. This is the one with the best combination of size, power, and clean conditions.
So, to keep it simple: Friday the 21st is the early call for a decent session, but the real standout is that Tuesday, September 2nd. Get ready for that one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 11°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1373 | 3168 | 8076 | 5346 | 3834 | 3334 | 607 | 671 | 381 | 1456 | 1134 | 473 | 339 | 250 | 146 | 72 | 48 | 17 | 207 | 325 | 229 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:46AM1.75m | 10:10PM1.71m | 10:33AM1.72m | 10:59PM1.67m | 11:22AM1.67m | 11:48PM1.62m | 12:14PM1.62m | 00:35AM1.57m | 1:06PM1.58m | 1:22AM1.51m | 1:56PM1.54m | 2:10AM1.45m | 2:43PM1.52m | 2:58AM1.40m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:01PM0.28m | 4:27AM0.30m | 4:51PM0.34m | 5:15AM0.36m | 5:41PM0.40m | 6:03AM0.41m | 6:30PM0.44m | 6:49AM0.45m | 7:20PM0.47m | 7:35AM0.46m | 8:10PM0.48m | 8:23AM0.46m | 8:57PM0.47m | ||||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 12 |
Feels °C | 0 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 14 | SE 9 | S 14 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | S 8 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 6 | S 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 |
351 | 338 | 63 | 47 | 635 | 2814 | 201 | 94 | 381 | 1456 | 1134 | 473 | 339 | 250 | 146 | 72 | 48 | 12 | 207 | 325 | 229 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | — | — | — | S 15 | SE 9 | S 13 | S 13 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | ESE 13 | S 10 | S 14 | S 15 | S 16 |
46 | — | — | — | 1195 | 497 | 513 | 171 | 112 | 172 | 122 | 70 | 29 | 12 | 16 | 5 | 33 | 17 | 203 | 221 | 193 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 13 | SE 13 | S 17 | S 16 | — | S 16 | E 15 | ESE 14 | S 15 | ESE 13 | WNW 3 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 7 | 206 | 343 | — | 125 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 34 | 1 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 3 | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | SW 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NW 2 |
1373 | 3168 | 8076 | 5346 | 3834 | 3334 | 607 | 671 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 91 | 309 | 169 | 91 | 162 | 9 | 44 | 162 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 33 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
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.











