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Surf Forecasts:
Mahia Reef surfForecast / Gisborne and Mahia / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 pm Tuesday 12 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Mahia Reef surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Mahia Reef sea temperature is
15.8° C
(Which is slightly cooler than normal)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Mahia Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Mahia Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (May 17) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Mahia Reef in the next 16 days are 3.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (May 13) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (May 13) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Sun 17th May) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sun 17th May) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 13th May) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Mahia Reef over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 12 | Wednesday 13 | Thursday 14 | Friday 15 | Saturday 16 | Sunday 17 | Monday 18 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
S 13 | S 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 9 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | |
800 | 1772 | 1589 | 3091 | 3230 | 2021 | 1790 | 725 | 416 | 652 | 1175 | 900 | 723 | 573 | 586 | 449 | 284 | 287 | 162 | 93 | 81 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | |
High Tide | 1:51AM1.54m | 2:16PM1.51m | 2:42AM1.60m | 3:10PM1.60m | 3:35AM1.68m | 4:03PM1.71m | 4:30AM1.74m | 4:58PM1.82m | 5:26AM1.80m | 5:54PM1.91m | 6:24AM1.83m | 6:51PM1.97m | 7:22AM1.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:33PM0.37m | 8:04AM0.31m | 8:29PM0.34m | 8:55AM0.29m | 9:25PM0.31m | 9:48AM0.27m | 10:20PM0.27m | 10:45AM0.24m | 11:16PM0.22m | 11:41AM0.21m | 00:13AM0.18m | 12:37PM0.16m | 1:11AM0.14m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |  | | |  |  | | |
 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:07 |
 | 5:07 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:01 | — | 5:00 |
— | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 |
15 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 16 | S 15 | E 9 | E 9 | S 13 | E 9 | E 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
 kJ | 800 | 1772 | 1589 | 42 | 27 | 2021 | 26 | 25 | 416 | 325 | 1175 | 900 | 723 | 573 | 586 | 449 | 284 | 287 | 162 | 93 | 81 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | SSW 24 | E 9 | S 18 | SE 13 | ENE 9 | S 17 | S 15 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 |
| kJ | 94 | 65 | 61 | 109 | 44 | 226 | 7 | 28 | 209 | 652 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 51 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 18 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | ENE 10 | S 26 | SE 16 | — | E 9 | — | — | E 9 | E 10 | — | — | S 16 | SW 20 | SW 18 | S 22 | S 15 | S 16 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 |
| kJ | 28 | 96 | 13 | 10 | — | 26 | — | — | 28 | 30 | — | — | 46 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 40 | 45 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 6 | S 14 | S 14 | — | S 12 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 108 | 3091 | 3230 | — | 1790 | 725 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 78 | 111 | 84 | 93 | 159 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Mahia Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Mahia Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Mahia Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Mahia Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Mahia 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 (Mahia 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 Mahia 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.
Mahia Reef is 49 km (30 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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