Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.7° C
1.5° 

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 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 19s period, S swell with 5,059 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 2.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Tue 21st Jul)6ft (1.9m) 14s
Best Surf 6PM (Tue 21st Jul)6ft (1.9m) 14s
Most Powerful 9PM (Mon 20th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 19s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve only got one spot on the menu for this entire outlook, so let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Blacks Reef, a reef break that’s exposed to the south swell. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker suit.

The first real action kicks off on Sunday, July 19th, but it’s not exactly a dream. We’ve got a solid 7ft south swell running with a very long 17-second period, packing some serious energy (2802). The problem is a moderate onshore wind from the SSW, which is going to mess with the surface. The conditions are questionable, and the score is low. It’s going to be a bit of a battle.

Monday, July 20th, looks a little better. The swell drops slightly to 6ft, but the period is still a very long 15 seconds, and the energy is still strong (2018). The wind backs off to a light breeze in the morning, though it’s still onshore. By the afternoon, the swell bumps up to 8ft with a massive 19-second period and energy soaring to 4093, but again, the onshore wind keeps it from being clean. This is a decent amount of power, but not the best conditions.

Tuesday, July 21st, the swell holds around 7ft to 8ft, but the wind turns light cross-onshore. It’s still not ideal, but you could find a few. The real standout of the whole forecast, however, is Wednesday, July 22nd. In the morning, the swell drops to 4ft with a 12-second period and moderate energy (540), but the wind turns light cross-offshore from the NW. That’s clean. Then, in the afternoon, it gets even better: the wind goes glassy, the swell is a clean 4ft from the south, and the conditions are described as “good.” This is the best window of the entire 16 days. It’s clean, it’s calm, and that reef will be working beautifully.

After that, the swell fades out significantly. Thursday, July 23rd, and Friday, July 24th, see tiny waves dropping from 3ft down to 1ft, and while the wind stays offshore or cross-offshore, there’s just not enough water moving. The energy drops to two-digit numbers, meaning it’s weak.

Then we hit a big gap. From Saturday, July 25th, right through to Sunday, August 2nd, we get a run of poor surf conditions. The wind is strong, onshore, or cross-shore, and the swell is either small or messy. On Monday, July 27th, the swell jumps to 12ft, but it’s accompanied by a strong 25 mph cross-wind, making it a complete mess. Tuesday, July 28th, is outright dangerous with an 12ft swell and near-gale force onshore winds. The energy reads 6165, which is massive, but it’s blown out and totally unsurfable. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

The outlook finally starts to look up again on Wednesday, July 30th, and Thursday, July 31st. The swell comes back to a clean 4ft with a 12-second period, and the wind is light cross-offshore. The conditions are clean, and the energy is moderate (366-378). This is another good chance to get out. Saturday, August 1st, also looks promising with a 3ft to 5ft south swell, a 15-second period, and light cross-offshore winds. Clean again.

The last couple of days (August 2nd and 3rd) show a return to onshore wind and smaller, choppier surf, so that window from Wednesday, July 22nd, through to Saturday, August 1st, is your best bet.

The clear standout is Wednesday, July 22nd. The afternoon session with glassy conditions and a clean 4ft south swell is the pick of the bunch. The Thursday and Friday, July 30th and 31st, are also very good. Don’t get too excited about the big 12ft days; they’re blown out and dangerous. Keep your eyes on that clean mid-week window.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, strong winds from the W by Sat morning).

Sun
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
2
3
4
3
3
3
3
2
1
2
1
1
1
0
0
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)
2
S
17
1.7
S
16
1.8
S
15
2.3
S
19
2.5
S
18
2.3
S
16
2
S
15
1.6
S
13
1.3
S
12
1.1
S
12
1
S
12
0.8
S
12
0.5
S
12
0.4
SSE
11
0.4
S
10
0.4
S
9
0.7
SW
4
0.7
SSW
6
0.4
SE
17
0.6
SE
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2373
1452
1415
3752
4586
2594
1699
905
501
342
292
171
71
39
30
26
20
36
101
151
Wind (km/h)
20
SSW
15
SSW
10
SSW
15
SSW
10
S
10
WSW
5
S
10
NNW
5
NW
5
ESE
10
WNW
5
NNE
10
NE
15
NNW
15
NNW
20
N
25
WNW
35
W
30
WSW
30
WNW
Wind State
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
High Tide
9:50PM1.81m
10:17AM1.72m
10:42PM1.74m
11:07AM1.68m
11:33PM1.68m
11:59AM1.65m
00:24AM1.62m
12:54PM1.62m
1:14AM1.58m
1:46PM1.61m
2:03AM1.55m
2:36PM1.59m
2:51AM1.51m
Low Tide
3:36PM0.13m
4:12AM0.14m
4:30PM0.21m
5:02AM0.20m
5:23PM0.29m
5:51AM0.28m
6:15PM0.36m
6:39AM0.36m
7:08PM0.42m
7:27AM0.42m
8:00PM0.47m
8:15AM0.47m
8:50PM0.50m
clear
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:20
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:18
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:07
5:07
5:08
5:09
5:10
5:10
5:12
 mm
2
1
2
Temp °C
13
12
11
10
11
10
11
9
12
11
9
12
14
10
14
14
13
11
11
13
Feels °C
9
9
8
6
8
7
9
6
10
9
7
9
11
6
10
9
8
1
3
6
  • 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