Surf Forecasts:
Blacks Reef surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, S swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, S swell with 7,243 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s 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 28) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) 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 1.0m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the beach. Let's have a look at what we've got cookin' for our local stretch.
Right off the bat, there's some real promise on the table. We've got a nice little pulse of long-period southern groundswell lining up, and if the wind plays nice, we could be in for some proper sessions. The water's sitting at 54° – that's about two and a half degrees cooler than we'd usually expect for this time of year, so you'll want a decent spring suit. Don't let that put you off, though; the early action is where it's at.
We kick things off on Friday, August 28th. First thing in the morning, it's looking prime. Blacks Reef is catching a clean 5ft Southerly swell with a long 13-second period, and we've got a moderate offshore breeze from the Northeast. That's a recipe for some real nice, lined-up waves. The combined energy's sitting at 915 – that's moderate, but feelin' solid. This is a standout session, no doubt. The afternoon holds a similar vibe, dropping to a still-fun 4ft but staying offshore and clean.
Saturday the 29th sees the swell drop to 3ft. It's not as punchy, but the conditions are still clean with a gentle offshore wind. You'll get some fun, cruisy waves in the morning, and it hangs around through the afternoon. Good for a longboard or a fish.
Then we hit a bit of a flat spell. From Sunday the 30th right through Monday the 31st, the quality goes south. The swell is small, and the wind turns cross-onshore, making everything a bit lumpy and messy. By Monday afternoon, a new swell starts showing its face with a 10ft Southerly, but it's still blowing cross-onshore, so it's messy.
Tuesday, September 1st, is a big NO-GO for paddling. We've got a monster 13ft Southerly swell with a massive 6939 combined energy, but it's blowing a 19 mph onshore gale. That's a washing machine. This is strictly for the kite crew, not for us paddle surfers, unless you're a pro charging a war zone.
Now, here's the real standout of the whole outlook: Wednesday, September 2nd. The swell backs down to a still-chunky 8ft from the South, with a groundswell period of 12 seconds. The magic ingredient is the wind – it swings to a light offshore from the Northwest, with the morning being nearly glassy with a slight offshore angle. At 1976 combined energy, this is moderate-to-strong, and it's going to be clean, powerful, and a serious test for experienced surfers only. This is the one to circle on your calendar. The afternoon will be a bit more cross-choppy, but the morning alone makes it worth the wait.
Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th offer a nice follow-up. The swell settles to a very surfable 4ft to 5ft, and the wind stays clean and offshore each morning. These are your solid, reliable sessions for a good paddle.
After that, we're looking at a real dry spell. From Saturday the 5th right through to Wednesday the 10th, it's tiny, weak, or blown out. There's a hint of a new SSW swell on the 6th, but it's only 1.0ft. By Thursday the 10th, we get another 8ft SSW spike, but it's accompanied by a 19 mph cross-onshore wind, making it a lumpy mess.
We finally see a glimmer of hope on Friday, September 11th. A 5ft Southerly swell shows up with a clean, light offshore wind in the morning. It's not the monster of the 2nd, but after that long flat stretch, it'll feel like a gift.
Saturday the 12th closes the window with a massive 13ft stormy swell and a gale-force cross-onshore wind. That's full-on, dangerous conditions for any sane surfer.
So to wrap it up: the absolute best sessions are Friday morning, August 28th for a clean, consistent swell, and the top-tier standout is Wednesday morning, September 2nd for the big, clean groundswell action for the experienced crew. Don't sleep on that Wednesday, lads. After that, it's mostly waiting for the next one.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat night, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 6°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | S 12 | S 14 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
901 | 543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 80 | 50 | 61 | 686 | 2239 | 2325 | 3669 | 6939 | 3844 | 1976 | 1344 | 915 | 687 | 482 | 338 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:47PM1.53m | 6:11AM1.46m | 6:33PM1.57m | 6:58AM1.52m | 7:20PM1.62m | 7:44AM1.59m | 8:05PM1.66m | 8:29AM1.65m | 8:52PM1.69m | 9:13AM1.70m | 9:40PM1.69m | 9:59AM1.73m | 10:30PM1.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:32AM0.32m | 00:03AM0.30m | 12:17PM0.28m | 00:49AM0.26m | 1:02PM0.25m | 1:35AM0.24m | 1:48PM0.24m | 2:20AM0.23m | 2:37PM0.24m | 3:05AM0.23m | 3:28PM0.25m | 3:52AM0.23m | 4:20PM0.25m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | NE 9 | S 12 | S 14 | SSW 14 | ENE 10 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 |
901 | 543 | 350 | 216 | 202 | 154 | 80 | 84 | 46 | 21 | 2239 | 2325 | 2444 | 9 | 3844 | 1976 | 1344 | 915 | 687 | 482 | 338 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 12 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | S 10 | SSW 10 | NE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | — | NE 10 | NE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | NE 10 | ENE 11 | SSW 16 |
5 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 25 | 34 | 15 | 50 | 33 | 50 | 18 | 16 | 20 | — | 14 | 13 | 81 | 181 | 4 | 11 | 81 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | SE 12 | NE 9 | SE 13 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | NE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 11 | SSE 15 |
9 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 20 | 38 | 15 | 25 | 61 | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 42 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SW 4 | W 2 | W 4 | SSW 7 | — | WNW 4 | SSW 14 | S 14 | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | NW 3 |
21 | 52 | 36 | 42 | 29 | 66 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 686 | — | 30 | 3669 | 6939 | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 99 | 3 | 44 | 171 | 82 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











