Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 5,943 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 12s 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 (Sep 16) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. 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 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Blacks Reef has cooking over the next sixteen days. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, but there’s one session that’s got my heart pumping.
Water temp’s running at 55°, a bit colder than average for this time of year—bring the thick wetsuit.
The early part of the week is flat and forgettable. Wednesday the 16th has a tiny 3-foot SSE swell with a weak 9 second period and an annoying cross-shore; it’s poor. Thursday the 17th stays small at 3-foot from the SE, clean cross-off winds, but still nothing to call home about. Friday the 18th morning shows a glimmer with 3-foot SE groundswell and a nice 12 second period, light cross-off breeze and clean.
Saturday the 19th sours—6-foot SSW windswell with a short 7 second period, moderate cross-onshore turning onshore, choppy mess. Sunday the 20th is even worse with strong 19 mph winds and lumpy seas.
Now, here’s the beast. Monday the 21st morning unloads a massive 15-foot SSW groundswell with a 12 second period, glassy calm with 3 mph NNW winds. The energy is insane (9252). That’s expert-only territory, but it’ll be a proper spectacle. Afternoon stays solid at 10-foot from the S with clean cross-off winds.
Tuesday the 22nd drops to a more manageable 4-foot S swell, clean and offshore in the morning—good for a fun, relaxed session.
It goes downhill again from Wednesday the 23rd through Thursday the 24th with onshore winds and chopped-out, messy conditions, swell running 5 to 7-foot.
But hang on. Friday the 25th morning turns glassy with a clean 3-foot S groundswell and a long 16 second period—moderate energy (709), smooth and lined-up. Saturday the 26th is your best day: 5-foot S swell, 12 second period, glassy calm with no wind in the morning, and clean cross-off in the afternoon. That’s the absolute standout. The 850 energy gives it enough grunt without being overwhelming, and those offshore conditions will polish it up for experienced surfers.
Sunday the 27th stays clean but drops a little, Monday the 28th turns glassy again with a 2-foot S swell and a very long 17 second period—long lines that’ll wrap nicely into this reef.
The last few days fade off with smaller swells and a few cross-onshore days, nothing worth chasing.
So mark your calendar for Saturday the 26th—that’s the winner. Friday the 25th is a solid backup. The rest is mostly wind and wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sun morning, calm by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SSW 9 | S 11 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 124 | 99 | 224 | 138 | 122 | 110 | 281 | 224 | 197 | 311 | 212 | 269 | 324 | 1337 | 2574 | 5943 | 2510 | 753 | 295 | 138 | 332 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:14AM1.76m | 9:39PM1.68m | 9:58AM1.72m | 10:25PM1.64m | 10:45AM1.66m | 11:11PM1.59m | 11:34AM1.60m | 11:55PM1.52m | 12:25PM1.54m | 00:41AM1.44m | 1:14PM1.49m | 1:29AM1.38m | 2:00PM1.46m | 2:18AM1.35m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:31PM0.34m | 3:51AM0.39m | 4:19PM0.39m | 4:38AM0.42m | 5:05PM0.42m | 5:24AM0.45m | 5:53PM0.44m | 6:09AM0.46m | 6:41PM0.45m | 6:53AM0.45m | 7:29PM0.44m | 7:39AM0.44m | 8:15PM0.41m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 12 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSW 14 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 124 | 99 | 224 | 138 | 122 | 110 | 281 | 127 | 86 | 161 | 121 | 269 | 73 | 59 | 41 | 3289 | 2510 | 753 | 295 | 138 | 22 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | SE 12 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SSW 15 | SE 14 | SSW 15 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | S 17 | SSE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | E 12 |
| kJ | 17 | 53 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 97 | 21 | 224 | 197 | 21 | 212 | 48 | 19 | 38 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 26 | 23 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SSW 9 | NE 3 | S 14 | S 8 | SSW 13 | S 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | ENE 8 | SE 11 | S 18 | NE 8 | — | — | — | SE 13 | E 10 | — | NE 9 |
| kJ | 25 | 25 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 25 | 53 | 87 | 112 | 25 | 97 | 24 | 9 | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 2 | — | — | NW 3 | NNE 3 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | W 3 | SSW 7 | S 7 | — | SW 12 | SSW 9 | S 11 | SSW 12 | — | — | WNW 3 | NNW 2 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 34 | 27 | 308 | 5 | 311 | 212 | — | 324 | 1337 | 2574 | 5943 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 332 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 79 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 114 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 73 |
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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