Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, S swell with 4,103 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (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 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.
The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Sunday the 26th through to Tuesday the 28th are pretty grim with onshore winds and messy conditions. The swell is there, but the wind is just ruining it. We’ve got to wait until Wednesday the 29th to see something worth getting excited about.
Wednesday morning the 29th is the real standout. Blacks Reef is looking clean as a whistle. We’ve got a 6ft swell coming from the SE with a nice 13-second period, and the wind is glassy in the morning – dead calm. That’s a recipe for some proper, lined-up waves. The combined energy is strong (1133), so there’s plenty of push. The water is a bit colder than normal at 54°, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. This is for experienced surfers though, as the size is solid. The afternoon holds up too with a clean offshore wind from the NE, keeping the 6ft ESE swell nicely groomed.
Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are still good, but the swell drops off a bit. Thursday morning has 5ft from the ESE with a clean cross-offshore breeze, and the energy is a moderate 689. Still a fun session, just not as punchy as Wednesday. Friday sees the swell drop to 3ft, but with a consistent offshore breeze, it’ll be clean and rideable on a log or a funboard.
Then it goes ugly again. Saturday the 1st of August is small and messy, and Sunday the 2nd brings a massive 13ft S swell, but with howling cross-onshore winds. It’s going to be a absolute washing machine – total closeout conditions. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The energy readings are huge (3696), but it’s just not surfable.
The next week is a total loss. From Monday the 3rd to Monday the 10th, it’s a constant drumbeat of onshore winds and rain. The swell is too big and the wind is too strong, or the swell is too small. There’s a brief flicker of hope on Thursday the 6th of August, with a 4ft SSE swell and glassy morning conditions, but the period is short (8 seconds), so it’s going to be a bit weak and crumbly. It’s the only clean window in that whole stretch.
So, to sum it up: Wednesday the 29th of July is your day. Get on it, because the rest of the outlook is a sore one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the NW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 8 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | S 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 488 | 493 | 458 | 630 | 885 | 816 | 966 | 1819 | 1417 | 1094 | 1005 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 302 | 243 | 200 | 107 | 203 | 171 | 3082 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 7:30AM1.47m | 7:50PM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:30PM0.31m | 2:07AM0.29m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — |
 | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 8 | ESE 11 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 16 |
| kJ | 476 | 493 | 458 | 630 | 689 | 816 | 966 | 1819 | 1417 | 1094 | 1005 | 722 | 509 | 379 | 302 | 243 | 107 | 107 | 203 | 171 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | ESE 11 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 20 | 22 | 37 | 17 | 35 | 33 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 19 | 162 | 172 | 110 | 36 | 31 | 200 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 19 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | E 13 | SW 14 | — | — | SSW 13 | — | SE 10 | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | NNE 4 | S 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | ESE 11 | SSW 10 | ENE 16 |
| kJ | 50 | 55 | 53 | — | — | 35 | — | 16 | — | 6 | 5 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 36 | 32 | 47 | 32 | 25 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 11 | S 10 | — | — | NE 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNW 3 | WNW 3 | N 2 | SW 5 | S 10 |
| kJ | 488 | 464 | 355 | 413 | 885 | 736 | 891 | 122 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 28 | 77 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3082 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 91 | 9 | 41 | 93 | 79 | 41 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 33 | 65 | 114 |
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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