Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 14s period, S swell with 2,507 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.9m 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 2.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's break it down.
We got a slow start, but some decent swell is showing for the weekend. The real standout, though, is lining up for Monday, August 18th with a serious pulse of energy. There's a big gap of flat, poor conditions before that, so hold your horses.
Looking at Blacks Reef. The water's at 55°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a thick wetsuit.
First good window is Friday, August 7th. Friday morning is glassy with a light offshore wind from the NW and a 4ft south swell. That swell is carrying a very long period of 17 seconds, which is pure groundswell. This kind of period can be tricky on a beach break, but on this reef, it'll set up real nice. The combined energy is strong at 1858, so plenty of push. The afternoon cleanup continues with a 7ft south swell and a cross-offshore breeze.
Saturday, August 8th keeps the quality. Morning is glassy again with a 7ft south swell, and the afternoon turns offshore with a NE breeze. The energy is still strong at 1267. This is the best of the early run. Sunday the 9th drops off, and by Monday the 10th the swell fades to under 3 feet.
Then it goes flat. From Monday the 10th all the way through to Sunday the 16th, it's poor or very ordinary with tiny swell and weak energy. A long, flat stretch.
The big news is Monday, August 17th. It's expert-only then. A 8ft to 10ft SSW swell hits, but the wind is light cross-onshore, and the period is a short 7 to 8 seconds. It's gonna be bumpy and crumbly. The energy builds though, hitting 1230 by the afternoon.
Then Tuesday, August 18th is the real standout. We're looking at a solid 10ft south swell with a long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 4773, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. It'll be a bit bumpy, but this is a powerful groundswell on a reef. This is for experienced surfers only, as the size is well over 8 feet. The conditions are marginal, but the raw power makes it the most exciting day of the forecast. It fades through the rest of the week with onshore winds returning.
So to wrap it up: Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are your clean, manageable windows. If you're an expert wanting power, circle Tuesday, August 18th, but expect a bit of wind bump.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2282 | 1439 | 849 | 941 | 1860 | 1693 | 1218 | 911 | 543 | 381 | 255 | 289 | 139 | 131 | 108 | 90 | 138 | 125 | 86 | 75 | 47 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:10AM1.67m | 11:41PM1.67m | 12:04PM1.70m | 00:33AM1.67m | 1:01PM1.74m | 1:29AM1.67m | 2:00PM1.77m | 2:29AM1.68m | 2:59PM1.81m | 3:29AM1.69m | 3:57PM1.84m | 4:28AM1.70m | 4:56PM1.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:29PM0.31m | 5:54AM0.28m | 6:23PM0.31m | 6:46AM0.27m | 7:22PM0.29m | 7:41AM0.25m | 8:22PM0.24m | 8:41AM0.22m | 9:21PM0.19m | 9:43AM0.16m | 10:20PM0.15m | 10:43AM0.10m | 11:18PM0.11m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 1860 | 1439 | 849 | 754 | 1860 | 1693 | 1218 | 911 | 543 | 381 | 255 | 289 | 139 | 131 | 108 | 90 | 138 | 125 | 86 | 75 | 47 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | NE 17 | SSE 12 | S 17 | SSE 10 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | E 13 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | S 13 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SE 12 | SSW 9 | S 8 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | SE 6 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 56 | 12 | 245 | 941 | 370 | 26 | 14 | 4 | 44 | 265 | 229 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 62 | 29 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 18 | NE 17 | S 20 | SE 13 | SE 12 | E 14 | SE 12 | S 18 | NE 13 | SSW 18 | E 12 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | NE 5 | SSE 9 | S 16 | SSW 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ESE 5 |
| kJ | 6 | 12 | 30 | 163 | 158 | 4 | 35 | 6 | 7 | 30 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | NE 7 | NNW 2 | — | — |
| kJ | 2282 | 1189 | 616 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 35 | 1 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 75 | 89 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
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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