Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.1° C
1.7° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 12s period, S swell with 9,765 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 18s. 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 6.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. 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 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 20th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 8s
Best Surf 3AM (Fri 21st Aug)5ft (1.6m) 12s
Most Powerful12AM (Wed 19th Aug)20ft (6.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, and I've got a look at the local surf outlook for Blacks Reef. We've got a forecast that's a bit of a slow burn, with a lot of nasty weather to get through before the good stuff shows up.

The whole run starts off pretty grim. From this Sunday, the 16th, right through to Wednesday the 19th, we're seeing a mix of light rain, cloud, and strong, onshore winds. The swell is actually pumping, with heights pushing 13 ft to 16 ft from the S and SSW, and the combined energy is massive, hitting 6939 at one point. But with the wind howling straight onshore at 19-25 mph, it's just a churned-up mess. This is purely for the experts, and even then, it's a tough paddle. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.

We finally get a bit of a break on Thursday the 20th. The wind eases, but it's still a cross-on breeze, and the 8 ft swell from the S is a bit lumpy. It's marginal, but the options open up on Friday the 21st. That morning is still a bit iffy, but by Friday afternoon, we get a taste of what's to come. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the N, the swell is a clean 6 ft from the S, and the period stretches out to 16 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, and with the wind cleaning it up, it will be excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is strong (1842), and it's the first real standout.

Saturday the 22nd keeps that clean vibe with light cross-offshore winds, but the swell drops to 3-4 ft. It's still clean, but the energy is dropping. From Sunday the 23rd through to Tuesday the 25th, the swell fades out to almost nothing, with energy values down in the double digits. It's a bit of a flat spell.

Then, on Wednesday the 26th, things get interesting again. We've got a clean 7 ft swell from the S, with a 10-second period and a light offshore breeze from the NNE. The energy is a solid 881, and it's looking like very good surf. This is your second standout window. The winds stay favourable through Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th, with a clean 4 ft swell and a very long 16-second period on Friday. That long period is great for Blacks Reef, as it's a reef setup that will handle it well.

The final weekend is a bit of a write-off again, with strong onshore winds and a big, messy 7 ft swell coming in on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. That's mostly for the kites, not a paddle.

So, the best on offer is Friday the 21st afternoon with that 6 ft, 16-second groundswell and clean conditions, and then Wednesday the 26th with the 7 ft swell and light offshore. Get out there for those windows.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 10°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon night, near gales from the SSW by Tue night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu afternoon).

Sun
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
3
3
3
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
SSW
8
4
S
10
3.5
S
10
3.5
S
9
3
S
9
3.5
S
9
4.5
S
10
6
S
12
4.5
S
12
4
S
12
2.5
S
14
2.5
SSW
13
1.6
S
13
1.6
S
12
0.9
S
16
1.3
S
13
1.4
S
15
1.1
S
13
0.9
S
12
0.7
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1080
3339
2519
1874
1526
1678
4015
9765
6034
4600
3066
2091
822
714
396
543
876
404
228
116
Wind (km/h)
35
SSW
35
S
35
S
35
SSW
35
SW
40
SW
45
SSW
55
SSW
40
SSW
30
SSW
30
SW
15
WSW
10
S
10
NNW
5
NW
5
NW
20
WNW
20
WNW
20
WNW
15
NW
Wind State
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
8:31PM1.81m
9:00AM1.76m
9:21PM1.76m
9:46AM1.75m
10:10PM1.71m
10:33AM1.72m
10:59PM1.67m
11:22AM1.67m
11:48PM1.62m
12:14PM1.62m
00:35AM1.57m
1:06PM1.58m
1:22AM1.51m
Low Tide
2:51AM0.16m
3:09PM0.20m
3:39AM0.22m
4:01PM0.28m
4:27AM0.30m
4:51PM0.34m
5:15AM0.36m
5:41PM0.40m
6:03AM0.41m
6:30PM0.44m
6:49AM0.45m
7:20PM0.47m
heavy rain
mod rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
mod rain
light rain
rain showers
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:37
 mm
14
8
2
2
2
4
6
2
2
2
Temp °C
10
9
9
9
8
10
9
8
9
9
10
10
11
9
14
15
11
15
16
13
Feels °C
3
1
1
1
0
1
-1
-3
0
2
4
6
8
7
11
13
6
10
12
8
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • 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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