Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 09 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.8°C
0.9° 

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 9 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, S swell with 2,790 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s 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 09) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 2.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore 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 (Sep 16) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Wed 9th Sep)4ft (1.2m) 8s
Best Surf 6PM (Sat 12th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 16s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sun 13th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 15s

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 shaping up for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t write it off just yet. The first real opportunity isn’t until Wednesday the 9th, so there’s a couple of days of flat waiting. That first session is a bit of a tease.

Wednesday, September 9th – We’re looking at Blacks Reef for the morning. The swell is coming in at 5 ft from the SE, with a short period of 8 seconds. It’s not a world-beater, but that glassy, near-calm wind (3 mph from the W) is the real story here. It’ll be clean. The water is sitting at 55°F, which is a touch below where we’d normally expect it for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. The combined energy is moderate (327), so there’s some push in the water. The afternoon sees the wind swing ENE and pick up, so grab the morning session.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off. The swell drops right off and the wind is all over the place. A day to do maintenance on the boards.

Friday the 11th is a funky one. The morning is a mess with onshore wind and a lumpy 6 ft swell from the south, but the afternoon flips. The wind goes glassy from the N at 3 mph, and while the swell drops to just 2 ft, the period jumps to a very long 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. It’ll be clean, but a long-period swell like that on a reef? It’ll be a bit shifty and might close out if you’re not careful. The energy is still moderate (444). Worth a paddle for the patient surfer.

Saturday the 12th morning is a hard pass – strong onshore wind. The afternoon is better, with a clean 4 ft from the S, but the period is still long at 16 seconds. The energy is moderate (771). It’s a better option than the morning, but that long period on a reef can be a caveat.

Sunday the 13th is a big one. We’re seeing a solid 8 ft swell from the S in the morning, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is strong (2187). But the wind is a light cross-onshore, which will put some texture on the face. This is expert territory – 8 ft is over the 8 ft threshold for being just for experts, so it’s a big, powerful, and potentially unruly day. The afternoon is similar at 7 ft.

Monday the 14th – The morning is still a bit bumpy with a cross-shore wind, but the swell is a solid 6 ft. The afternoon is the real standout. The wind goes cross-offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, and the swell is 6 ft from the S with a 13-second period. The energy is strong (903). This is where it all comes together: clean conditions, a solid swell, and a good direction. This is the best bet for the first week.

Tuesday the 15th – Clean cross-offshore winds and a dropping swell of 4 ft in the morning. A very nice, mellow day.

After that, the second week gets patchy. We see a few days of poor conditions and junk wind, with a few flickers of hope.

Saturday the 19th – Afternoon glass-off with a 3 ft, 17-second period swell. Clean, but small.

Tuesday the 22nd – Morning sees a 5 ft swell from the SSW with a crappy 5-second period, but the wind is offshore from the NE. It’s small, weak, and short-period, but it’s clean.

Wednesday the 23rd – Clean, small, and long-period. A nice morning session for a longboard.

Thursday the 24th – Now this is the long-range promise. The morning is glassy, the swell is 3 ft from the S with a 16-second period, and the afternoon gets even better: offshore wind from the NNE at 9 mph, with a 4 ft, 17-second period swell. The energy is moderate (600-683). This is a promising standalone, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, the best window is Monday the 14th through Tuesday the 15th, with the afternoon of the 14th being the peak. The long-range day on the 24th is a solid tip for the patient ones.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
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
1
1
0
0
0
1
2
1
0
2
0
3
3
4
3
3
2
2
2
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
SE
8
1.3
SE
8
1.1
SE
8
0.8
SE
8
0.7
SE
8
0.4
SSW
16
1.8
S
7
0.6
S
18
0.5
S
18
0.6
S
17
1.2
S
16
2.3
S
16
2.3
S
14
2.1
S
13
2
S
12
1.9
S
13
1.7
S
13
1.4
S
12
1.2
S
12
1.1
S
11
0.9
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
284
196
128
79
55
80
311
238
156
215
743
2534
2187
1567
1058
1181
903
556
380
279
188
Wind (km/h)
5
W
15
ENE
15
NW
20
WNW
10
SSW
10
S
15
SSW
5
N
15
WNW
25
SW
10
ESE
20
WSW
10
WSW
10
S
10
NNE
5
WNW
15
ENE
10
WNW
10
NW
10
NNW
20
NW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
on
on
on
glassy
cross
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:41PM1.74m
4:12AM1.62m
4:37PM1.75m
5:08AM1.63m
5:33PM1.75m
6:03AM1.67m
6:25PM1.75m
6:56AM1.71m
7:15PM1.74m
7:45AM1.75m
8:04PM1.73m
8:30AM1.77m
8:52PM1.71m
Low Tide
9:27AM0.13m
10:02PM0.13m
10:25AM0.11m
10:59PM0.13m
11:19AM0.11m
11:53PM0.14m
12:11PM0.13m
00:45AM0.17m
1:02PM0.18m
1:33AM0.22m
1:52PM0.24m
2:19AM0.27m
2:43PM0.29m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:15
6:13
6:11
6:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:53
5:54
5:54
5:55
5:57
5:58
 mm
5
1
1
Temp °C
12
12
11
15
15
12
10
11
11
11
12
10
11
12
10
14
15
12
17
19
13
Feels °C
10
8
8
12
13
11
7
9
8
6
9
8
8
9
8
12
12
9
15
16
9
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  • 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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