Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 13 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
13.2° C
1.0° 

Blacks Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Blacks Reef surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 16s period, S swell with 2,262 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 13 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Mon 13th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 10s
Best Surf 6AM (Fri 17th Jul)5ft (1.5m) 16s
Most Powerful12AM (Mon 20th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Blacks Reef over the next 16 days.


Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Mother Nature's got cookin' for Blacks Reef. Now, it's a quiet start, so we're waiting a little bit for the real action to kick in. But when it does? Hoo boy, we've got a couple of proper standouts.

First thing's first, that water temp is sitting around 56°, which is a bit colder than what we'd usually expect for this time of year. You'll definitely want a decent wetsuit.

The real magic starts brewing on Thursday the 16th. Thursday afternoon we've got a 3ft swell rolling in from the ESE with a 17-second period. That is some proper long-period groundswell, which is going to wrap into the reef beautifully. Combined wave energy is strong (546). The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, so you're looking at perfect, clean conditions. For a reef break, that's about as good as it gets if you can read the long lines.

But the absolute standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Friday the 17th. Both morning and afternoon are going to be firing. Swell jumps to 5ft and 6ft from the SE, with a very long 16-second period, giving us a massive combined energy of 1318 in the morning and 1783 in the arvo. The winds are glassy all day. This is expert territory at over 5ft, so leave the soft-top at home, but for anyone who knows what they're doing, it's going to be cranking. The crowd situation is marked as "often", so expect a few familiar faces out there, and it'll be worth the paddle.

Saturday the 18th is still looking excellent, with 5ft and 5ft swell. The afternoon session looks the pick of the two with glassy conditions again. This is a solid run of good days.

Sunday the 19th keeps up the quality, but keep an eye on that wind shift. The morning is clean with a 4ft S swell and a massive 18-second period, giving us 1800 energy points. The afternoon gets a bit messy with onshore wind, so get out early.

Now, after that, things get a bit gnarly. Monday the 20th is still surfable with clean conditions in the afternoon, but the real story is the wind. From the 21st of July onwards, we're looking at some serious weather moving in. Strong cross-winds and onshores up to 18-22 mph make conditions pretty ugly for about a week, with only small, choppy waves on offer. The swell stays up, but it's just not going to be surfable.

We do see a little lifeline right at the end of the forecast. By Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th, the wind drops off to a glassy calm, and we get some small, clean 2ft to 2ft S swell. It's not going to blow your socks off, but after a rough week, it'll be nice to get a board wet again in some clean conditions.

So, for the whole 16-day run: you've got a cracking window from Thursday the 16th through to Sunday the 19th. Friday is your top-tier day for experienced surfers. The rest is a bit of a mixed bag, but there's some hope right at the end.

Stay stoked, stay safe.
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
0
1
0
1
1
1
1
3
2
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SE
9
0.8
S
10
0.7
S
13
0.5
S
12
0.4
SSW
12
0.3
ESE
10
0.4
ESE
11
0.4
ESE
11
0.5
ESE
13
0.7
ESE
15
0.9
ESE
17
1.4
SE
16
1.6
SE
16
1.8
SE
16
1.7
SE
15
1.6
SE
14
1.4
SE
14
1
S
22
1.1
S
18
1.4
S
18
2.1
S
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
135
122
166
73
45
20
48
47
96
199
516
952
1284
1552
1297
1006
787
933
733
1215
2262
Wind (km/h)
10
NW
5
NE
15
NNE
15
N
10
NW
15
NW
10
NW
5
E
10
NW
10
WNW
5
WNW
5
WNW
5
NE
5
E
10
NNW
5
WNW
5
SSE
10
NW
10
NW
5
S
5
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross
High Tide
4:14PM1.90m
4:46AM1.78m
5:14PM1.94m
5:45AM1.79m
6:14PM1.96m
6:44AM1.79m
7:11PM1.96m
7:42AM1.78m
8:06PM1.93m
8:36AM1.77m
8:58PM1.88m
9:27AM1.75m
9:50PM1.81m
Low Tide
10:00AM0.22m
10:38PM0.19m
11:01AM0.15m
11:37PM0.13m
11:59AM0.08m
00:36AM0.09m
12:53PM0.04m
1:34AM0.06m
1:47PM0.03m
2:28AM0.06m
2:42PM0.06m
3:21AM0.09m
3:36PM0.13m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:02
5:04
5:04
5:05
5:06
5:07
5:07
 mm
Temp °C
12
14
13
16
16
13
16
17
14
16
17
14
13
13
11
12
12
10
12
12
10
Feels °C
9
11
10
12
14
10
14
16
12
14
16
11
13
12
9
10
10
8
10
10
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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