Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 31 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.7° C
1.2° 

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 31 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, S swell with 6,040 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s 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 (Aug 02) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 14s. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6PM. 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 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sun 2nd Aug)7ft (2.2m) 11s
Best Surf 3PM (Sun 2nd Aug)7ft (2.2m) 11s
Most Powerful 6PM (Tue 4th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at what’s shaping up for Blacks Reef over the next couple of weeks. Let’s get into it.

There’s a bit of a rough patch to start, but don’t write it off just yet. The first real window of opportunity doesn’t pop up until the Sunday afternoon of the 2nd of August, and it’s a real gem. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the south, with a period of 11 seconds, creating some powerful, well-shaped waves. The wind is absolutely glassy – dead calm, WSW at only 3 mph – so the surface will be like a mirror. The combined energy is pumping at a healthy 1476 (moderate wave energy), but this is a big, powerful swell for the reef. At over 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The water sits at 55°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so bring a good hood.

The standout, and the one you really want to circle on your calendar, is the Tuesday morning of the 12th of August. The wind is offshore out of the NNE at 15 mph, absolutely clean. The swell is 8ft from the ESE with a 11-second period, packing a punch. The combined energy is a solid 1605 (moderate wave energy). This is a proper, powerful groundswell that will really light up this exposed reef. It’s going to be big, so it’s a spot for the experienced crew only. Keep in mind, this is a long-range call so it’s promising but not a done deal.

The Monday morning of the 10th of August is also looking tidy. Offshore winds (N, 12 mph) and a 8ft SE swell with a 9-second period. The combined energy is 956 (moderate wave energy). It’s a bit smaller than the 12th, but still a very solid session with clean conditions.

Before that, there are a few other noteworthy windows. The Sunday morning of the 3rd of August is a bit cleaner with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell is a bit smaller and less consistent. The 7th of August through the 9th of August has a run of clean, cross-offshore winds and decent swell, but the size fluctuates. The Friday afternoon of the 7th has a very long period 18-second swell from the south, but it’s only 2ft – that kind of period will produce some long, slow lines but the height is tiny. The 9th has a punchy 8ft SSE swell, but the period drops to 9 seconds, so it’s a bit more of a windswell, and the afternoon turns choppy.

The period from Friday the 14th of August is a write-off – a strong onshore flow and a rapid drop in size and energy. The 15th of August has the combined energy dropping to a weak 78 (weak energy), so it’s fully flat.

To sum it up, the best bets are the glassy afternoon of the 2nd of August and the offshore morning of the 12th of August. The 10th is a solid backup. The rest of the window is a mix of clean but smaller waves, or periods of onshore wind and blown-out conditions. The 11th of August gets a mention – the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, so unless you’re a very seasoned charger, give it a miss.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
3
4
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
3
2
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
ESE
11
0.7
ESE
11
3
SSW
9
3.5
S
11
3.5
S
13
2.5
S
12
2.2
S
11
1.9
S
11
1.6
S
10
1.3
S
10
1.5
S
12
2.3
S
14
3.5
S
15
3.5
S
15
3
S
14
3
S
14
2.4
S
12
2
S
12
1.8
S
12
1.5
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
154
103
1438
2831
4215
2027
1179
862
524
340
670
2155
5333
4902
3659
2843
1712
1113
851
543
Wind (km/h)
20
WNW
20
W
30
SW
35
SSW
20
SSW
10
W
5
WSW
10
NNW
15
WNW
15
SW
15
W
20
SSW
25
SSW
25
SW
15
WSW
15
SW
10
W
10
WSW
15
SW
10
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
7:06PM1.57m
7:30AM1.47m
7:50PM1.58m
8:14AM1.51m
8:34PM1.61m
8:57AM1.55m
9:19PM1.63m
9:39AM1.59m
10:04PM1.65m
10:22AM1.63m
10:51PM1.66m
11:10AM1.67m
11:41PM1.67m
Low Tide
1:23AM0.32m
1:30PM0.31m
2:07AM0.29m
2:15PM0.29m
2:50AM0.27m
3:02PM0.29m
3:34AM0.27m
3:49PM0.29m
4:19AM0.27m
4:38PM0.30m
5:05AM0.28m
5:29PM0.31m
clear
clear
light rain
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:11
7:11
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:22
5:22
 mm
2
2
2
Temp °C
16
11
8
9
9
9
10
9
14
14
11
10
10
9
8
9
7
8
9
6
Feels °C
12
5
1
1
3
6
7
5
11
10
7
5
4
2
3
5
4
4
6
4
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Blacks Reef:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Blacks Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest