
Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSE swell with 2,475 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 6AM (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 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Imperial Units
Alright, listen up. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the horizon for Blacks Reef. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. It’s a real slow start, with nothing worth getting wet for until mid-week. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a notable 3° colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent suit.
The action finally kicks off on Wednesday, July 29th. That’s our standout morning. We’re looking at a clean 7 ft swell from the southeast, with a solid 13-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy, and it’s gonna wrap in nicely here. The wind is glassy, dead calm, and the combined energy is strong (1324). This is excellent for experienced surfers; the reef will be handling that power beautifully. The afternoon holds up too, with a clean 6 ft from the southeast and a light cross-off breeze.
Thursday, July 30th, keeps the quality up. Morning sees a clean 5 ft from the east-southeast, with a 12-second period and light cross-off winds. The afternoon turns glassy again with a 5 ft swell. Good wave energy (739 and 598), super clean conditions.
We roll into Friday, July 31st, with a bit smaller swell, dropping to 4 ft from the east-southeast, but the wind is offshore and clean. The energy is moderate (359). It’s a fun, smaller day for a longboard or a fish.
Saturday, August 1st, is a weird one. The morning has a tiny 2 ft swell with a very long 16-second period from the southeast. That’s a lot of period for not much height, but it’s offshore. The afternoon, however, jumps up to 8 ft from the south with a short 7-second period and a cross-off breeze. That short period, choppy energy won’t be great for the reef.
Sunday, August 2nd, things get messy with onshore winds and lumpy, short-period swell. The rest of the week into the second week looks pretty poor. There’s a big spike on Monday, August 3rd, with a massive 12 ft swell from the east, but the wind is cross-on. That’s just too much juice for this spot, and the conditions will be sloppy. The combined energy is a huge 2691, but it’s not for paddling. For the rest of the run, from the 4th through the 9th, it’s mostly onshore, messy, and choppy. A few days have cross-shore winds, but the quality is just marginal. The 7th and 8th look like a full-on washing machine with strong onshore winds and big, sloppy swell. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, to sum it up: your window is Wednesday, July 29th, through Friday, August 1st, with Wednesday being the absolute standout. After that, it’s a long gap of poor to marginal conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 6°C on Sun night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 11 | E 11 | SSW 7 | S 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
163 | 160 | 533 | 643 | 583 | 458 | 1014 | 1190 | 1649 | 1976 | 1346 | 1619 | 1285 | 1082 | 902 | 698 | 536 | 435 | 302 | 256 | 128 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:36PM1.59m | 2:51AM1.51m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:50PM0.50m | 9:04AM0.48m | 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 | ||||||||
7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 11 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
163 | 160 | 158 | 476 | 486 | 458 | 630 | 734 | 721 | 1976 | 1346 | 1619 | 1285 | 1082 | 902 | 698 | 536 | 435 | 302 | 256 | 128 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | SE 17 | SE 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | — | SSW 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 12 | SE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SE 16 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
21 | 106 | 245 | 20 | 43 | 37 | — | 36 | 673 | 29 | 463 | 37 | 33 | 19 | 22 | 35 | 46 | 47 | 40 | 32 | 19 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 18 | NE 5 | NNE 9 | SSW 16 | E 13 | SW 12 | — | — | SSW 14 | — | SSW 11 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 15 | S 18 | SSW 13 | E 19 | SSW 13 | SE 16 | SE 14 |
13 | 4 | 8 | 50 | 55 | 38 | — | — | 36 | — | 39 | — | 6 | 5 | 21 | 6 | 16 | 7 | 17 | 64 | 93 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | NNW 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | S 2 |
2 | 20 | 533 | 643 | 583 | 417 | 1014 | 1190 | 1649 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 4 | 10 | 23 | 64 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 89 | 91 | 41 | 162 | 41 | 79 | 109 | 75 | 79 | 91 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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.










