Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks for you.

The water is sitting right around 60°F, which is pretty much average for the time of year, no big surprises there.

The action starts Friday morning, July 10th, at Chinamans. This is a reef break for the experienced crew only, and it's looking prime. We've got a 5ft long-period groundswell from the SW, with a period of 15 seconds. That's real juice. The wind is offshore from the NNW at 12 mph, keeping it glassy. The combined energy is a solid 1232, so there's plenty of power. The swell is over 5ft, so it's a bit too much for beginners, but for the advanced surfer, this is a standout. You might run into a few others out there, so keep your head on a swivel.

The afternoon holds similar, dropping a touch to 5ft, still with that offshore wind. This is the best of the first week, no question.

Saturday, July 11th, is a total washout. The wind swings onshore and howls, with a messy 10ft cross-shore slop. Don't bother. Sunday and Monday look a bit better, but the wind is still fresh and cross-off, holding the swell around 10ft. That's expert-only territory, and the combined energy is massive (over 3000), but the wind is just not clean enough to call it a classic. The 16-second period on Monday is a proper groundswell, but at a reef break, it might be a bit too straight. It's a "watch and see" day.

Tuesday, July 14th, gets ugly again with a cross-onshore wind, but Wednesday, July 15th, brings a real treat. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and the wind goes light and offshore from the NE at 6 mph. The combined energy is still a solid 3172, and the conditions are clean. This is the second standout. Expect long lulls between sets, but the waves that come through will be beautiful. It's a day for the experienced surfer.

The rest of that week into the second week is a mixed bag. Thursday, July 16th, offers a smaller 5ft swell with a clean offshore wind in the afternoon, and Friday, July 17th, has a nice 6ft swell with a 16-second period and offshore wind in the morning. The energy is there (1532), but the wind is a bit stronger. It's still good, but not as standout as the earlier days.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. July 18th and 19th see the swell drop way down, with strong, clean offshore winds that make it hard to paddle into. The energy is low (414 and 308). It's not a time for big waves, but it's clean. The real gap starts on July 20th, when the wind turns cross-shore and strong, blowing out a messy 8ft to 10ft swell. That run of poor conditions lasts through to July 22nd, with cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy seas. That's a solid three-day stretch of no-go.

Things start to turn around on July 23rd, but the swell is small (4ft to 5ft) and the wind is still a bit cross. It's marginal. The final Friday and Saturday, July 24th and 25th, see the wind going offshore again, but the swell is small and the wind is strong, making it hard to get into the waves. The energy is low (around 561 to 878). It's a clean but frustrating end to the outlook.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is Friday morning, July 10th, and Wednesday morning, July 15th at Chinamans. Get on it while the wind is kind.

Rusty.

Read more