Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 10 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
13.3° C
1.0° 

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 10 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 14s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 1,771 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 9PM. 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 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Sun 12th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 13s
Best Surf12AM (Sat 18th Jul)5ft (1.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 9PM (Fri 10th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 10s

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


Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the 16-day window for Blacks Reef.

Right off the bat, there’s a rough patch ahead. The first few days are ugly – Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are a complete write-off with strong onshore winds and a messy, lumpy 13ft to 7ft swell. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine. We’ll be sitting on the beach for that.

Things start to settle down a bit from Sunday the 12th, but it’s still marginal. The swell drops to 5ft on Sunday morning with a light cross-onshore, and by the afternoon it’s down to 3ft with a clean onshore wind, but period is a nice 13 seconds. Still, not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 13th is the first real glimmer. The swell is only 3ft, but the wind goes clean offshore from the north in the morning, and the water is a bit colder than usual at 56°. The combined energy is weak (265), so it’s small, but it’ll be glassy and fun for a beginner on a longboard.

Tuesday the 14th through Wednesday the 15th is tiny – 1ft to 2ft – with clean but weak conditions. Not much happening.

Then we get a pulse on Thursday the 16th. The morning sees 3ft swell from the SE with a 18-second period – that’s proper groundswell, very long period. The combined energy jumps to 628 (moderate). But the wind is cross-offshore from the NW, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon gets better: 5ft, same long period, and energy up to 1084. This is the best of the first week. The long period means it’ll be better shaped and more powerful, but at a reef break like this, it could be a bit straight for the beachies. Still, a solid window.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th turn ugly again with strong cross-on winds and lumpy 5ft to 6ft swell. That’s a mess.

Sunday the 19th is marginal again, small 3ft with a light cross-shore.

Now, the standout period. Look at Wednesday the 22nd of July. This is the one. Morning: glassy conditions, 15ft swell from the SSE, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is massive: 6272 (very strong). That is a serious swell. The wind is glassy – perfect. This is a big one, but warning: 15ft is too big for beginners and only for experts. The afternoon stays clean with 12ft and cross-offshore wind. This is the best on offer, but it’s a long way out – nearly two weeks – so keep an eye on the forecast.

Thursday the 23rd of July is also a gem. Gentle offshore wind from the NNE, 10ft swell from the SSE, period 10-11 seconds. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers. Combined energy is strong (2167). Again, this is expert territory.

After that, Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th drop back to marginal with onshore winds and smaller 4ft to 8ft swell.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a write-off except for a small clean window on Monday the 13th and a decent groundswell on Thursday the 16th. The real magic is on Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd – big, powerful, glassy or offshore, but only for the experienced crew. Crowds are often here, so expect company on those days.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
1
1
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
3
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SSE
10
2.3
SE
10
2.2
SE
9
1.9
SE
9
0.8
S
16
0.9
S
15
1
S
13
0.9
S
12
0.9
SE
9
0.8
S
10
0.7
S
13
0.5
S
12
0.4
SE
8
0.3
ESE
10
0.4
ESE
12
0.4
ESE
11
0.4
ESE
12
0.6
ESE
15
0.9
SE
18
1.4
SE
16
1.6
SE
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2304
992
822
606
338
343
345
216
133
122
166
73
17
20
53
49
54
152
444
1014
1171
Wind (km/h)
30
S
25
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSW
15
SSW
10
WSW
10
SSW
10
N
10
N
10
NNE
15
NNE
15
N
5
N
10
NW
5
NW
5
E
15
NW
20
WNW
15
WNW
15
WNW
30
SW
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
High Tide
1:49AM1.70m
2:19PM1.77m
2:46AM1.73m
3:16PM1.84m
3:46AM1.75m
4:14PM1.90m
4:46AM1.78m
5:14PM1.94m
5:45AM1.79m
6:14PM1.96m
6:44AM1.79m
7:11PM1.96m
7:42AM1.78m
Low Tide
7:39PM0.34m
8:00AM0.29m
8:39PM0.30m
8:58AM0.26m
9:39PM0.25m
10:00AM0.22m
10:38PM0.19m
11:01AM0.15m
11:37PM0.13m
11:59AM0.08m
00:36AM0.09m
12:53PM0.04m
1:34AM0.06m
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:26
7:26
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:00
5:01
5:01
5:02
5:04
5:04
5:05
5:06
 mm
2
2
1
1
2
4
Temp °C
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
8
13
15
12
15
17
13
15
16
13
15
15
11
10
Feels °C
4
3
5
6
6
7
7
5
9
12
9
12
15
11
13
14
10
11
12
5
1
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  • 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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