Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
13.0°C
0.8° 

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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SSW swell with 7,536 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Sun 6th Sep)2.5ft (0.7m) 10s
Best Surf12AM (Sun 13th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 14s
Most Powerful12AM (Sun 13th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what this next stretch has got for us.

So, the only spot in the mix for this whole period is Blacks Reef. It's a reef break, very consistent and exposed to the south swell. Right off the bat, things are looking pretty flat and average. For the first few days, there's barely any push. We've got tiny waves and ordinary conditions. Honestly, not worth paddling out for. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are a real letdown with small waves, and Monday the 7th is just poor with onshore wind. We're in a bit of a dead zone here.

Things start to get a little more interesting mid-week. Wednesday the 9th is the first real standout. We’ve got a clean 5 ft swell from the SSE with that period at 8 seconds. The real winner here is the wind – glassy in the morning and a nice offshore breeze in the afternoon. That kind of clean, lined-up reef break is what we live for. The combined swell energy is moderate (337), so there’s some decent push. The water is around 55°, which is about average for this time of year.

Now, the second week gets raw but mostly for the wrong reasons. There’s a massive amount of energy flooding in. On Sunday the 13th, we see an 12 ft S swell with a very long 16-second period. That is serious, deep ocean groundswell energy (5888!). Wind is light, so the faces will be clean, but this is expert territory. 12 ft at a reef is no joke. That trend continues Monday the 14th with a 13 ft S swell and Tuesday 15th with 8 ft. It's all big, but the wind is mostly okay. For most of us, it’s gonna be a window licking session.

Further out, Saturday the 19th morning has a 6 ft S swell with the wind flat calm—glass. That’s a beautiful call, with very good conditions expected. Combine that with the low tide, and it's a chance for some truly epic, empty-feeling waves if you time it right.

But hold on… Sunday the 20th is a monster. The forecast is showing an 18 ft S swell with a 17-second period from the far south. That’s 15,873 on the energy scale. The morning is glassy, but it’s just too big. Unless you’re charging with the big boys, it’s a washout. Save your energy.

If there's one window to lock in, it’s Wednesday the 9th. That's your best bet for a fun, manageable, clean session. If you're an experienced surfer, don't sleep on Saturday the 19th morning.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu night).

Sat
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.6
SSW
7
0.7
S
10
0.7
SSW
10
0.4
SSW
18
0.5
S
17
0.3
S
16
0.3
S
16
3
SSW
9
3
SSW
9
2.3
S
9
1.9
S
8
1.6
SSE
8
1.5
SSE
8
1.1
SSE
8
0.8
SSE
7
0.6
SSE
7
0.4
SSW
16
3
SSW
8
2.5
SSW
10
1.6
S
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
41
92
102
104
147
47
44
1323
1361
842
505
333
280
135
62
35
84
1267
1270
440
Wind (km/h)
10
ENE
10
NW
10
N
15
NNW
15
NNW
15
N
25
WSW
25
S
20
SW
20
SSW
10
SSW
5
NE
15
NE
15
NNW
20
WNW
25
WNW
25
WSW
25
WSW
20
W
25
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
on
glassy
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
High Tide
00:17AM1.65m
12:46PM1.73m
1:15AM1.63m
1:45PM1.73m
2:15AM1.61m
2:43PM1.74m
3:14AM1.61m
3:41PM1.74m
4:12AM1.62m
4:37PM1.75m
5:08AM1.63m
5:33PM1.75m
Low Tide
6:09PM0.23m
6:29AM0.21m
7:08PM0.21m
7:26AM0.19m
8:07PM0.18m
8:26AM0.16m
9:05PM0.15m
9:27AM0.13m
10:02PM0.13m
10:25AM0.11m
10:59PM0.13m
11:19AM0.11m
11:53PM0.14m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:22
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:54
 mm
5
8
2
Temp °C
15
13
18
17
16
17
12
12
11
11
11
12
13
12
16
14
11
13
14
13
Feels °C
11
8
15
13
14
14
8
9
7
7
8
9
9
8
12
9
5
8
9
8
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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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