
Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, S swell with 7,301 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 5.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at the next couple of weeks at Blacks Reef. We’ve got a bit of a rough start, but there’s some real magic hiding in there if you’re patient.
Right now, the water’s sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than we’d usually expect for this time of year, so you’ll want that extra rubber.
The first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 26th through Tuesday the 28th are all onshore junk with poor surf conditions. The swell is there, but the wind is just messing it all up. The combined energy is moderate to strong, but it’s not worth paddling out for.
Then, Wednesday morning the 29th is where it finally turns on. We’ve got clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SE, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (1117), and the description says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is the standout of the whole forecast. Blacks Reef handles a SE swell well, and with that wind, it’s going to be lined up and hollow. Grab it early.
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday the 30th stay clean, but the swell drops a bit. Still good fun, but the morning is the peak.
We get a bit of a lull from Friday the 31st through Saturday the 1st. The swell is smaller, around 2 ft to 3 ft, but it’s clean. It’s a long-period groundswell, so the sets will be fat and slow, better for a longboard or a quiet session.
Now, Sunday the 2nd of August, things get heavy again, but it’s a mess. A big 11 ft to 16 ft S swell rolls in, but the wind is howling cross-onshore. The energy is huge (3045 to 5718), but it’s just a washing machine. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The whole of the first week of August is blown out with strong S winds and big, lumpy swell. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are a no-go with 16 ft+ waves and onshore gales. Not for the faint of heart.
There’s a glimmer on Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell drops to 10 ft from the SE, and the wind is very light, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s rated as marginal, but with the energy still strong (3005), it might be worth a look if you’re desperate.
The real second chance comes on Thursday the 6th of August. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore NNW wind and a 8 ft SE swell. The energy is moderate (1376), and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid morning session, though the swell is a bit big for beginners.
After that, the swell fades into the weekend of the 8th and 9th, but the wind turns onshore again, so it’s back to poor conditions.
The Monday the 10th of August is all onshore, big, and messy. A long run of poor surf to end the forecast.
So, to sum it up for you: Wednesday morning the 29th is the absolute best on offer. Clean, solid groundswell, and the reef will be working. Thursday the 6th is your second-best bet, but it’s a bit more powerful. The rest of the time, you’re either fighting the wind or the swell is too small.
Stay patient, and you’ll get a couple of sick ones.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 9 | S 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
493 | 458 | 630 | 906 | 1005 | 2278 | 1952 | 1417 | 1077 | 918 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 247 | 218 | 193 | 109 | 206 | 176 | 2679 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on |
High Tide | 3:22PM1.58m | 3:37AM1.48m | 4:08PM1.56m | 4:23AM1.45m | 4:53PM1.55m | 5:09AM1.43m | 5:37PM1.55m | 5:56AM1.42m | 6:22PM1.55m | 6:43AM1.44m | 7:06PM1.57m | 7:30AM1.47m | 7:50PM1.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:37PM0.50m | 9:53AM0.48m | 10:23PM0.49m | 10:40AM0.45m | 11:08PM0.46m | 11:24AM0.41m | 11:53PM0.41m | 12:05PM0.37m | 00:38AM0.36m | 12:47PM0.33m | 1:23AM0.32m | 1:30PM0.31m | 2:07AM0.29m | |||||||
— | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | NE 8 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 16 |
493 | 458 | 630 | 689 | 864 | 2278 | 1952 | 1417 | 1077 | 918 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 247 | 218 | 169 | 109 | 206 | 176 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | ESE 11 | SSW 10 | NE 8 |
22 | 37 | 17 | 70 | 64 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 20 | 162 | 181 | 84 | 62 | 32 | 193 | 21 | 66 | 62 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SW 14 | — | — | — | SE 11 | SE 10 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 11 | — | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | NE 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 |
55 | 53 | — | — | — | 57 | 16 | — | 6 | 5 | 22 | — | 25 | 21 | 20 | 36 | 51 | 7 | 45 | 21 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 10 | — | S 8 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | NNE 4 | NE 7 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | SSW 7 | S 12 |
417 | 355 | 421 | 906 | 1005 | — | 227 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 176 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 36 | 2679 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 200 | 9 | 41 | 93 | 79 | 79 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
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.










