Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, S swell with 8,125 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Blacks Reef in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 2.5m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.
Alright, so first up, the good news is there *is* surf on offer, but we’ve got a pretty sketchy first week to wade through. Thursday the 13th is a write-off, and honestly, the whole stretch from the 14th through to the 20th is mostly blown out or too messy to get excited about. There’s a lot of wind and rain in that mix. The water’s sitting at about 54°, which is a good couple of degrees colder than usual – that’s a notable chill for this time of year, so you’ll want the thick rubber.
The first real standout is Blacks Reef on Friday the 21st. After a week of rubbish, we finally get a clean-up. The morning session is the pick: glassy conditions with a light offshore from the NW, waves around 4 ft out of the south with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy with some serious grunt behind it. It’s a reef break, so that long period should wrap in nicely. This one’s rated for experienced surfers at that size, and with that clean glass, it’s going to be smooth. The afternoon holds too, with a clean 6 ft south swell and a cross-off breeze. Keep in mind, the crowds can be an issue here, so get in early.
After that, the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd drops off a bit. Saturday morning still has a clean 5 ft, but the energy is fading and the wind picks up. Sunday sees smaller waves, 3 ft to 3 ft, but still clean with a cross-off breeze. It’s not a standout, but it’s rideable.
There’s a bit of a lull through the middle of the next week, with only small, marginal stuff. Then another possible look-in on Monday the 24th afternoon with a 4 ft, 15-second south swell under clean conditions. Nothing massive, but it’s a fun option if you’re keen.
For the rest of the outlook into late August, it fades into small, weak surf. The 16-day window doesn’t have any other big standouts—just small, clean days for a longboard or a foiler, but nothing to write home about.
So to wrap it up: Friday the 21st of August is your day. That’s the one to circle. Glassy, solid south groundswell, clean lines. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 56mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri night, min 9°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Sat morning, strong winds from the SSW by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 10°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SE 11 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 17 | S 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 82 | 37 | 28 | 28 | 720 | 607 | 493 | 547 | 841 | 3218 | 2580 | 1629 | 1735 | 1068 | 831 | 1904 | 1716 | 2863 | 7947 | 5350 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:54PM1.87m | 6:24AM1.72m | 6:49PM1.87m | 7:19AM1.73m | 7:41PM1.84m | 8:11AM1.75m | 8:31PM1.81m | 9:00AM1.76m | 9:21PM1.76m | 9:46AM1.75m | 10:10PM1.71m | 10:33AM1.72m | 10:59PM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:16AM0.09m | 12:32PM0.05m | 1:11AM0.09m | 1:24PM0.08m | 2:02AM0.11m | 2:17PM0.13m | 2:51AM0.16m | 3:09PM0.20m | 3:39AM0.22m | 4:01PM0.28m | 4:27AM0.30m | 4:51PM0.34m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | 10 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 15 | E 9 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 11 | SE 9 | SE 11 | — | SE 9 | S 16 | S 17 | S 15 |
| kJ | 82 | 37 | 28 | 28 | 18 | 607 | 493 | 547 | 270 | 206 | 176 | 197 | 22 | 470 | 831 | — | 284 | 526 | 2051 | 4518 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 16 | S 18 | SSW 18 | — | — | SSW 19 | SSW 16 | — | E 11 | SE 12 | E 10 | SE 16 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 42 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 25 | 102 | — | — | 360 | 437 | — | 57 | 252 | 19 | 10 | 43 | 18 | 36 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | SSW 15 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | S 22 | — | — | ESE 15 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | ESE 14 | ESE 11 | — |
| kJ | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 7 | 17 | 9 | — | — | 22 | 29 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 20 | 12 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 8 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | — | SSW 7 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 17 | S 15 |
| kJ | 61 | 108 | 151 | 170 | 720 | 196 | 154 | — | 841 | 3218 | 2580 | 1629 | 1735 | 1068 | 758 | 1904 | 1716 | 2863 | 7947 | 5350 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 127 | 45 | 2 | 89 | 14 | 143 | 143 | 162 | 91 | 162 | 82 | 91 | 114 | 91 | 114 | 170 | 41 |
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.
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