Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SE swell with 1,587 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 10s period with SSE 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 (Jul 24) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. 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 2.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 1ft (0.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
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 on the cards for Blacks Reef over the next couple of weeks.
We've got a bit of a slow start, but things are looking up, especially if you're a confident surfer. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with small, weak swell and tricky winds. The water temperature is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a decent wetsuit.
Thursday afternoon the 23rd kicks things off with a tiny 2ft south swell, but it's clean with a light offshore. The energy is weak (130), so it's more of a paddle-around session than anything to get excited about. Friday and Saturday are a write-off with messy, cross-shore winds and poor surf.
Sunday morning the 26th shows a bit more life. A 4ft SE groundswell with a long 14-second period starts to build, and the energy is moderate (946). The cross-onshore wind isn't ideal, but it's light. This swell builds into the afternoon, hitting 7ft from the south, but the period drops to 9 seconds, and it's onshore, making it a bit of a messy affair.
The real sparkle comes on Wednesday the 29th. We’ve got a solid 5ft to 6ft ESE swell, with a long 12 to 13-second period pushing in. The wind is light and offshore from the north and northeast, making for clean, glassy conditions. The energy is strong (730 to 940). This is a good window for experienced surfers looking for a quality wave at Blacks Reef.
Now, the standout – and I mean *the* standout – is Sunday the 2nd of August. After a few days of building swell, we get a beautiful 8ft to 8ft S swell with a nice 11-second period. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror. The energy is very strong (1734 to 1482). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but at that size, it's a crowd-magnet and definitely not for beginners. The reef will be working, but the long period groundswell can make it a bit straight at times.
Monday the 3rd of August sees a drop in size, but we get a clean 6ft SE swell with offshore winds on the afternoon, making for another good session. After that, the forecast gets a bit gnarly. From the 6th of August, a massive swell rolls in, hitting 21ft from the southeast with howling onshore winds. The energy is extreme (13658). That's a full-on, dangerous, expert-only situation, and with the wind, it'll be a washing machine. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, in short: the best bet is the 29th of July, and the absolute standout is the 2nd of August. The week after that is for the hardcore only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 6°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 11 | E 12 | ESE 11 | SSW 8 | SE 14 | S 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 75 | 34 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 171 | 170 | 1027 | 476 | 607 | 351 | 563 | 658 | 1587 | 1319 | 1242 | 1164 | 904 | 680 | 554 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:14AM1.58m | 1:46PM1.61m | 2:03AM1.55m | 2:36PM1.59m | 2:51AM1.51m | 3:22PM1.58m | 3:37AM1.48m | 4:08PM1.56m | 4:23AM1.45m | 4:53PM1.55m | 5:09AM1.43m | 5:37PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:08PM0.42m | 7:27AM0.42m | 8:00PM0.47m | 8:15AM0.47m | 8:50PM0.50m | 9:04AM0.48m | 9:37PM0.50m | 9:53AM0.48m | 10:23PM0.49m | 10:40AM0.45m | 11:08PM0.46m | 11:24AM0.41m | 11:53PM0.41m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — |
 | 5:10 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6 | -1 | -1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 8 | E 11 | E 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 75 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 57 | 171 | 170 | 123 | 450 | 400 | 291 | 563 | 658 | 1587 | 1319 | 1242 | 1164 | 904 | 680 | 554 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | NE 7 | SE 17 | SE 16 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 8 | S 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | S 15 |
| kJ | 37 | 34 | 30 | 27 | 14 | 16 | 106 | 201 | 476 | 424 | 351 | 177 | 159 | 146 | 49 | 69 | 37 | 20 | 41 | 155 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SSE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — | S 14 | SSW 10 | — |
| kJ | 18 | 22 | 10 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 44 | 35 | 29 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 9 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | — | NE 5 | NW 3 | WSW 5 | SSW 8 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | — | NW 3 |
| kJ | 9 | 1 | 2 | — | 39 | 2 | 84 | 1027 | — | 607 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 89 | 62 | 3 | 91 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
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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