Chinamans Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.29° S 136.87° E

Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 am 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Chinamans sea temperature is
15.1° C
0.5° 

Chinamans surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Chinamans surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,963 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 21s. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 12AM. 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 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sat 22nd Aug)7ft (2.1m) 15s
Best Surf 3PM (Sat 22nd Aug)7ft (2.1m) 15s
Most Powerful12AM (Sat 22nd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here, with a look at what's coming up for the next sixteen days.

Right off the bat, let's look at Wednesday morning, August 19th. We've got some swell, but the wind is howling from the WNW at 22 mph. That cross-offshore wind is messy and making for poor surf conditions, so I'd give it a miss. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about normal for this time of year, so the rubber is still on.

Things get a bit more interesting as we go. The swell direction is swinging to the southwest, and we're seeing some serious energy building. From Wednesday afternoon through the weekend, the combined swell energy is in the thousands (2494, 3050, 2913), which is solid. The problem is the wind stays on the cross or cross-on side, and the forecast keeps calling it "marginal" for tide or conditions. Thursday afternoon to Sunday morning is all in the 7ft to 8ft range with periods of 14 to 17 seconds, so there's good groundswell in the water, but it's looking lumpy.

Now, let’s get to the standout window. Starting Saturday afternoon, August 22nd, Chinamans (Big Island) starts to clean up. A 7ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and light cross-offshore wind from the west at 9 mph – that's the sweet spot. The combined energy is 2275, which is significant. This is an advanced reef break, and with that size, it's for experienced surfers only.

Sunday, August 23rd, is your other prime target. The morning sees a 7ft SW swell, 17-second period, and a light NNE cross-offshore breeze. Then, the afternoon is a magic moment: 6ft SW swell, 16-second period, with pure offshore wind from the NNW at just 6 mph. Clean, lined up, and perfect for the reef. This is the best on offer. Both days have "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" written all over them. Crowds are "sometimes" expected, so with quality this good, expect a few other crew out there.

Monday, August 24th, the swell backs off a little to 4ft by morning, but the afternoon picks up to a clean 6ft with a 14-second period and gentle offshore wind – another good, smaller session for the intermediate crowd.

The beginning of the second week gets mixed. Tuesday, August 25th, is a write-off with strong onshore winds. We get some clean windows on Wednesday, August 26th, with a 5ft offshore wind morning session, and then a real standout later on Monday, August 31st. On that Monday, we have an excellent morning: 5ft SW swell with a long 16-second period and clean offshore wind from the north. That's a great option for experienced surfers looking for clean, powerful lines on the reef.

The very end of the run on the 2nd and 3rd of September is looking promising, too. Wednesday the 2nd is killer: 6ft SW swell, a very long 19-second period, and light offshore NW wind. That’s not just a good day; that could be the session of the trip if you can read those long-period lines on the reef. Thursday the 3rd has a 5ft swell with zero wind – glassy conditions – for the afternoon.

That's the story. Some lumpy days to sit out, but a few absolute gems in there, especially this coming Sunday and then that long-period swell early next month. I'll be out there. Keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed morning, light winds from the SW by Fri night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the SW by Mon night).

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2
3
4
4
4
4
3
2
4
0
0
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2
W
8
2.4
WSW
15
1.9
WSW
13
1.8
WSW
16
2
WSW
16
2.2
SW
15
2
SW
14
2.3
SW
17
2.5
SW
16
2.3
SW
15
2.1
SW
15
2
SW
15
2.1
SW
17
1.8
SW
16
1.5
SW
15
1.1
SW
14
1.7
SW
14
2.1
SW
13
2.3
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
1.8
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
516
2361
1303
1629
2032
2255
1580
2913
2963
2259
1907
1638
2414
1675
936
513
1099
1395
1830
2095
1036
Wind (km/h)
35
WNW
35
W
20
WNW
30
NW
25
WSW
20
WSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
15
SW
10
SW
15
W
5
ENE
15
NNE
10
NNW
10
NNE
20
WNW
15
NNW
25
SW
25
SSW
25
SW
5
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
glassy
High Tide
4:16PM0.57m
5:43AM0.79m
3:52PM0.52m
6:19AM0.74m
1:59PM0.52m
7:29AM0.68m
12:20PM0.72m
12:56PM0.79m
3:38AM0.37m
1:22PM0.86m
2:36AM0.40m
Low Tide
11:23AM0.34m
10:31PM0.11m
12:00PM0.43m
10:32PM0.12m
1:14PM0.52m
10:26PM0.13m
10:07PM0.15m
9:39PM0.15m
9:15PM0.15m
5:30AM0.36m
9:03PM0.14m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:58
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:55
5:57
 mm
1
1
1
4
Temp °C
14
14
14
14
14
13
13
14
14
13
13
13
13
14
15
15
14
13
13
12
12
Feels °C
7
7
9
8
10
9
10
10
10
12
10
13
10
12
13
11
11
7
6
6
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Chinamans:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Chinamans 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 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.

Nearest locationNearest