Reef
both
Level 6/10

Black Rock (Socials)

Nikao, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
🪸Sharp reef🌀Strong rips

Black Rock (locally known as Socials) is Rarotonga's most popular surf break, located in front of the Nikao Social Centre on the northwest coast. A reef break offering both lefts and rights, it catches North Pacific swells during the November-March season. More accessible than the south coast passes, it's the go-to break for the local surf community.

3-Day Forecast
Today
16
41
Poor
1.8m
@14s
13km/h
Tue
17
14
Poor
1.3m
@18s
22km/h
Wed
18
11
Poor
1.6m
@17s
24km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.8m
SSE(164°)
Score: 21/25
Period
14s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
13km/h
ESE(104°)
Score: 5/25
Weather
27°C
0.0mm46%
Windswell Component
0.3mE@2s
Secondary Swell
0.5mNE
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

1:15 am
Low tide - 0.48m
7:18 am
High tide - 0.80m
1:18 pm
Low tide - 0.50m
7:30 pm
High tide - 0.88m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

41
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size21/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind5/25
Raw Score51/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score41/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score41

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
N (0°)
Direction range
310° - 50°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.0m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Offshore range
160° - 240°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.5m

Water temp

27°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Shore access from Nikao Social Centre. 3km from airport.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr-Oct

Nov-Mar for N swells from North Pacific storms. Year-round potential.

Getting There

Airport
RAR
Drive time
5 min
Data quality
unverified

Strike Log

Community Discussion