
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 21s period, SW swell with 8,204 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chinamans in the next 16 days are 3.0m 21s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s ahead for Chinamans. This is a reef setup that’s exposed to the southwest and it’s going to be a proper test over the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at 60°F at the start, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
The real standout is Sunday, September 6th. That morning we’ve got a 8ft SW groundswell coming in with a 14-second period and glassy conditions – no wind at all. Combined energy is strong at 2038. The afternoon cleans up even more, still glassy, dropping to 6ft but with that same long-period SW groundswell. This is the best window of the whole forecast. Clean, powerful, and consistent. For experienced surfers, this is the one.
The build-up to that is messy. Thursday September 3rd kicks off with 8ft SW swell but it’s cross-shore wind and a cross-chop, so not great. Friday the 4th gets cleaner with cross-offshore winds from the north, but the swell is still 10ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, with a long 16-second period. It’s rideable but marginal. Saturday September 5th is a write-off – near gale-force cross-shore winds smashing up an 12ft swell, just a mess.
After Sunday’s brilliance, Monday September 7th drops off fast. Swell sizes fall to 4ft and 3ft, with onshore winds and a weird 21-second period on the afternoon – that’s a very long groundswell, which can make things wonky at a reef. Not worth it.
Tuesday September 8th sees a bit of a pulse back to 7ft SW with a 17-second period, but cross-onshore winds and chop spoil it. Similar story Wednesday September 9th – big 10ft SW swell with a 21-second period, but strong cross-onshore winds and messy conditions. That’s more of a kite day than a paddle day.
The following week is a mixed bag. Thursday September 10th has 8ft SW swell with moderate cross-shore wind, but it’s marginal. Friday September 11th drops to 5ft and clean with cross-offshore winds, but the energy is weak (878). Saturday September 12th has fresh offshore winds from the north but only 5ft swell and a bit of a drop-off in quality. Sunday September 13th gets lumpy again.
Then Monday September 14th and Tuesday September 15th bring back 7ft SW swell with gentle to moderate cross-shore conditions, but nothing special. The next solid standout window is Wednesday September 16th. Morning is clean with cross-offshore winds, 5ft SW swell at 15 seconds, and energy is moderate (1108). The afternoon turns glassy – light air from the northeast, 5ft SW swell, 14-second period, and the guidance says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s a proper afternoon session.
After that, the last few days taper off: Thursday September 17th is small, Friday September 18th gets slammed by near gale winds again.
So to wrap it up: Sunday September 6th is the absolute best of the best – glassy, solid SW groundswell, clean. Wednesday September 16th afternoon is your second-choice standout. The rest is either messy or small, so pick your windows carefully.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, near gales from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SE by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2903 | 3137 | 4264 | 3876 | 3102 | 3416 | 4747 | 3436 | 2558 | 1892 | 1463 | 801 | 431 | 508 | 2530 | 2622 | 2140 | 1643 | 7188 | 7486 | 5404 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:53PM0.51m | 5:20AM0.90m | 3:32PM0.45m | 6:08AM0.84m | 7:40AM0.76m | 11:29AM0.78m | 12:33PM0.85m | 2:08AM0.36m | 1:12PM0.89m | 1:56AM0.47m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:12AM0.26m | 9:58PM0.00m | 12:03PM0.37m | 10:08PM0.00m | 10:11PM0.02m | 9:54PM0.06m | 9:04PM0.10m | 8:31PM0.11m | 6:00AM0.26m | 8:23PM0.10m | |||||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | — | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
1536 | 3137 | 4264 | 3876 | 3102 | 1056 | — | 635 | 2558 | 1892 | 1463 | 801 | 431 | 444 | 2530 | 2622 | 2140 | 1643 | 7188 | 7486 | 5404 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | WSW 16 | — | SW 23 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 13 | — | ESE 4 | — | SSW 22 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 134 | 146 | — | 21 | 117 | 508 | 527 | — | 10 | — | 1133 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | — | — | — | N 5 | WSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | — | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 |
2903 | — | — | — | 34 | 3416 | 4747 | 3436 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 17 | 61 | 32 | — | 32 | 74 | 57 | 70 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 329 | 162 | 0 | 162 | 81 | 726 | 1217 | 1200 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 1189 | 1226 | 1742 | 717 |
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.










