Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,620 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chinamans this week:
The surf forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chinamans in the next 16 days are 2.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Chinamans. This one’s a reef break, so it can handle a bit more size than your average beachie, and it’s exposed to the SW. The water’s sitting at 60°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The next 16 days are gonna be a real rollercoaster. We’ve got a bit of a wait for the really good stuff, but there’s plenty to get excited about if you’re an experienced surfer, and a couple of absolute bombs for the experts later on.
We kick off Friday the 17th. Friday morning is looking clean with a solid 6ft SW swell, a 16-second period, and a cross-off breeze from the NNE. The combined energy is strong at 1571. It’s good for experienced surfers. Friday afternoon cleans right up, with the wind turning NNW and going offshore, still a nice 5.2ft SW swell. That’s a good start to the weekend.
Saturday the 18th is a bit of a drop-off. Smaller 3.9ft swell in the morning, but the wind is cross-off again, so it’s clean. The afternoon gets a nice offshore breeze from the north, with a little 3.6ft SW groundswell. It’s a smaller day, but still clean.
Sunday the 19th sees the swell drop further to 3ft, but the wind stays offshore from the north all day. The 18-second period in the afternoon is *very* long, so it’s a proper groundswell. That’s a point-break dream, and for a reef like Chinamans, it’ll link up nicely. The combined energy dips a bit (409 in the morning, 667 in the arvo), but the quality is there.
Monday the 20th is a step up. The swell bumps back to 4.6ft SW, wind is offshore from the NNW all day, and the energy is moderate at 816. Clean, lined-up waves with a bit more push.
Now, Tuesday the 21st is where it starts to get meaty. The swell jumps to 5.6ft in the morning, 5.2ft in the afternoon, straight from the SW with a 13-second period. The wind is offshore from the NW in the afternoon, and the energy is strong (1006 in the morning). This is a standout for the week. It’s good for experienced surfers, and the conditions are clean. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, but with this quality, it’ll be worth the paddle.
Wednesday the 22nd is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning is smaller at 3.3ft, and the wind is cross-off from the WNW, so it’s clean but weak. The afternoon gets messy with rain showers and a stronger cross-off from the W. The swell jumps to 4.9ft, and the energy spikes to 1327, but the quality takes a hit.
Thursday the 23rd is a no-go. The wind swings onshore from the S, and the swell is a chunky 7.9ft with a 14-second period. The energy is very strong at 2287, but the onshore wind will chop it up. By the afternoon, a 25 km/h SE wind makes it poor. Skip this day.
Friday the 24th is a bit of a tease. The swell is still 6.9ft from the SW, but the wind is light and onshore from the S in the morning. By the afternoon, it goes cross-shore from the WSW. The energy is still strong (1801), but the conditions are marginal. Not a classic.
Saturday the 25th is a return to form. The swell settles at 5.6ft, the wind is a light cross-off from the W, and the energy is
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1571 | 1265 | 746 | 526 | 444 | 282 | 212 | 522 | 823 | 816 | 763 | 810 | 1006 | 821 | 580 | 241 | 877 | 1421 | 2284 | 2080 | 2620 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:42PM1.12m | 4:06AM0.61m | 4:11PM1.02m | 4:45AM0.67m | 4:36PM0.90m | 5:25AM0.72m | 4:53PM0.77m | 6:08AM0.75m | 4:58PM0.66m | 6:59AM0.76m | 4:25PM0.58m | 8:11AM0.76m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 10:39PM0.17m | 9:28AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.18m | 10:13AM0.27m | 11:14PM0.19m | 10:59AM0.36m | 11:28PM0.20m | 11:50AM0.45m | 11:38PM0.21m | 1:03PM0.53m | 11:42PM0.22m | 11:35PM0.23m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | |
 | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — |
 | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1571 | 1265 | 746 | 526 | 444 | 282 | 212 | 522 | 823 | 816 | 763 | 810 | 1006 | 821 | 580 | 241 | 398 | 138 | 2284 | 2080 | 2620 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 7 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 12 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 11 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 186 | 144 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | 118 | 52 | 90 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 22 | SSW 11 | WNW 4 | SW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 15 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 11 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 110 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NNE 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | WNW 4 | SW 14 | SW 15 | S 3 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 27 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 42 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 10 | 877 | 1421 | 3 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 46 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Chinamans Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Chinamans provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Chinamans can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Chinamans 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 (Chinamans) 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 Chinamans 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Yorke Peninsula? If you are looking for accommodation near Chinamans, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Yorke Peninsula, consider staying in Kingscote which is 80 km (50 miles) away.
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