Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 8,557 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 18s. 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 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got the scoop on the next couple of weeks at Blacks Reef. It’s a reef break, exposed to the south, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot that’s very consistent. The water temp is about average for this time of year. Let’s get into it.
We’re looking at a rough start to the outlook. Tuesday and Wednesday, the 4th and 5th of August, are going to be a write-off. We’ve got a big, stormy south swell running, with waves 12ft to 16ft, but the wind is howling onshore from the SSW at 19-25 mph. The combined swell energy is massive (4,532 to 7,443), but it’s blowing out, so forget it. That’s just dangerous and messy.
The first real chance to get wet comes Thursday, the 6th of August. The swell drops to 10ft from the south (period 11 seconds) with a moderate cross-onshore wind. It’s marginal, but there’s moderate wave energy (3,916). The morning is still a bit choppy, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Now, for the standout window. Friday, the 7th of August, is where it’s at. The swell drops to a clean 6ft from the south, but look at this – the period jumps to 15 seconds, which is long-period groundswell. This is a reef, so it’ll handle that beautifully, offering well-shaped, powerful lines. The wind goes light and cross-offshore in the afternoon, making for clean surf. The combined energy is 2,035. The morning of Saturday the 8th is also excellent, with 6ft south swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. Get on it then. Anything after that fades into smaller, less consistent surf, with a lot of onshore wind returning.
There’s a second, smaller window later on. Saturday the 15th of August, we get a pulse of 7ft swell from the south, but it’s a short-period (7 seconds) windswell. The morning looks clean with a light offshore wind, but it’s not the same quality. The combined energy is only 358. It’s surfable, but a far cry from that Friday.
Honestly, the clear winner is Friday afternoon, the 7th, and Saturday morning, the 8th. That’s your best bet for clean, long-period groundswell at this break. The rest of the window is mostly blown out or too small. If you’re a beginner, the 6ft stuff on Friday is still a bit of a handful, but for the experienced crew, it’s a treat.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Thu afternoon, min 4°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the WNW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3972 | 4694 | 6730 | 7149 | 4829 | 2846 | 2032 | 776 | 643 | 749 | 1078 | 1285 | 989 | 722 | 475 | 326 | 515 | 582 | 383 | 2101 | 2802 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:39AM1.59m | 10:04PM1.65m | 10:22AM1.63m | 10:51PM1.66m | 11:10AM1.67m | 11:41PM1.67m | 12:04PM1.70m | 00:33AM1.67m | 1:01PM1.74m | 1:29AM1.67m | 2:00PM1.77m | 2:29AM1.68m | 2:59PM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM0.29m | 4:19AM0.27m | 4:38PM0.30m | 5:05AM0.28m | 5:29PM0.31m | 5:54AM0.28m | 6:23PM0.31m | 6:46AM0.27m | 7:22PM0.29m | 7:41AM0.25m | 8:22PM0.24m | 8:41AM0.22m | 9:21PM0.19m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  | |  | | |  |  | |  | |  |  |  | | | |
 | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 12 | 11 | 20 |
Temp °C | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 0 | -3 | -3 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | SE 16 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | NE 7 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 41 | 1636 | 776 | 643 | 749 | 450 | 1285 | 989 | 722 | 475 | 326 | 515 | 582 | 383 | 8 | 15 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 15 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 18 | S 16 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SSE 15 | S 15 | S 10 | NE 8 | NE 6 | NE 12 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 34 | 457 | 164 | 222 | 1078 | 144 | 33 | 14 | 21 | 109 | 255 | 71 | 11 | 5 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 18 | — | SE 13 | S 13 | SE 12 | E 14 | SSE 16 | E 13 | E 12 | S 18 | E 12 | SW 18 | E 12 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 212 | 88 | 175 | 4 | 105 | 3 | 3 | 57 | 11 | 13 | 11 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | NW 3 | N 3 | NE 4 | WNW 3 | W 3 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
| kJ | 3972 | 4694 | 6730 | 7149 | 4829 | 2846 | 2032 | — | 295 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 3 | 5 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 2101 | 2802 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 157 | 169 | 89 | 162 | 75 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 109 | 127 |
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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