Blacks Reef Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.07° S 177.80° E

Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 01 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Blacks Reef sea temperature is
12.2°C
1.4° 

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 1 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 6,411 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Tue 1st Sep)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Best Surf 6PM (Tue 1st Sep)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 9AM (Tue 8th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 12s

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 Blacks Reef has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a monster of a swell rolling in on Tuesday the 1st. We’re talking a solid 12ft from the SSW with a combined swell energy of (5907) – that’s serious power. But here’s the rub: that’s way too much juice for this spot. It’s going to be a washing machine, especially with a cross-on breeze. Tuesday afternoon cleans up a bit wind-wise, but the swell is still massive at 10ft. This is expert territory only, and even then, it’s a handful.

The real standout window starts to shape up from Wednesday the 2nd morning. We get a drop to a still-chunky 8ft from the S, but the wind swings offshore from the NNW. The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year at 54°, which is notable, but the conditions are set to be clean and excellent for experienced surfers. That 14-second period gives the swell real grunt, and it holds into the afternoon with light ENE winds. That Wednesday afternoon session is the pick of the first week – 8ft S swell, long 17-second period, glassing off, and the energy is pumping (4137). This is groundswell perfection for a reef setup like this.

Thursday the 3rd is still very good. The swell drops to a more manageable 6ft, period stays long at 13 seconds, and we’ve got clean, cross-off winds. Good shape, solid energy (976). By Friday the 4th, it’s all but over, dropping below 3ft and fizzling out over the weekend into a flat spell with barely a ripple.

We do have another pulse showing up around Tuesday the 8th, but it’s a repeat of the first: a dangerous 15ft SSW swell with a brutal (10303) energy reading. Again, way too big for this break, and it’s blowing directly onshore. That pattern continues into Wednesday the 9th with 10ft S swells, but the wind goes clear and cross-off in the afternoon, making it look clean though still big. Thursday the 10th has a standout morning with a nice 7ft from the SSE, light offshore winds, and very good conditions. The afternoon goes glassy – flat calm – with 6ft SSE swell. That’s a session for the log or a step-up, depending on your style.

We cruise through some nice, clean, smaller surf into the second week. Saturday the 12th has fun 5ft SE swell with light offshores. By Sunday the 13th morning, we get another glassy window with 4ft from the SSE – clean as a whistle. The real cherry on top, though, is Wednesday the 16th morning. We get a return of a solid 10ft S swell with a long 16-second period, and it’s glassy. Combined energy is a meaty (4028). That is the one to circle on the calendar, but remember, a 10ft S groundswell on a reef is a serious wave. Expect crowds – this spot is often busy.

Overall, for this area, we’ve got two distinct swell windows. The first week peaks on Wednesday the 2nd afternoon for the best combination of size, power, and perfect wind. The second week has a standout glassy morning on Wednesday the 16th for the big-wave crew. The gaps in between are flat or too small to mention. Keep your eye on that Wednesday the 2nd and the 16th – those are the days.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun night).

Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
3
!
5
5
4
3
3
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SSW
12
3
S
12
3.5
S
14
2.4
S
14
2.5
S
17
2.3
S
14
1.7
S
13
1.4
S
13
1
S
12
0.8
S
11
0.6
S
10
0.4
S
10
0.4
S
9
0.6
SSW
8
0.8
SSW
9
0.8
SSW
10
0.5
S
10
0.3
S
17
0.3
SSW
16
3
SSW
7
4
S
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3365
2589
3953
2073
4137
2155
976
623
276
146
72
29
25
54
110
125
49
53
52
983
4543
Wind (km/h)
20
SW
10
SW
10
NNW
10
NNW
5
ENE
15
NW
10
NW
10
NNW
20
NW
20
NW
20
NW
15
WNW
15
WNW
5
E
15
N
20
NNW
20
N
30
WNW
45
SW
35
SSW
20
WSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
8:52PM1.69m
9:13AM1.70m
9:40PM1.69m
9:59AM1.73m
10:30PM1.68m
10:50AM1.74m
11:22PM1.67m
11:46AM1.74m
00:17AM1.65m
12:46PM1.73m
1:15AM1.63m
1:45PM1.73m
2:15AM1.61m
Low Tide
2:37PM0.24m
3:05AM0.23m
3:28PM0.25m
3:52AM0.23m
4:20PM0.25m
4:42AM0.24m
5:13PM0.25m
5:34AM0.23m
6:09PM0.23m
6:29AM0.21m
7:08PM0.21m
7:26AM0.19m
8:07PM0.18m
light rain
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
6:26
6:24
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:45
5:46
5:46
5:47
5:49
5:50
5:51
 mm
1
3
1
Temp °C
8
9
8
15
16
13
18
19
15
17
17
12
15
16
12
16
16
15
10
11
10
Feels °C
3
6
5
13
14
10
16
16
11
12
14
7
13
13
8
11
12
13
1
2
3
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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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