
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 15,140 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. 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 5.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Chinamans.
We’re looking at a long stretch here, but honestly, the first few days are pretty ordinary. There’s a solid, long-period SW groundswell building through the end of the week, but the wind is going to mess it up for a while. Thursday the 6th is a write-off – cross-onshore breeze and that 4ft to 5ft swell is all chopped up. The combined energy reading is 806, so it’s weak anyway. Friday the 7th, the swell pushes up to 8ft, but only a 3/10 score – the wind goes cross-offshore but it’s strong at 19 mph, and the crowds could be an issue here. Saturday the 8th sees offshore winds, but the swell drops to 6ft, and again, it’s marginal at best with a score of 2 or 3. By Sunday the 9th, the swell jumps to 10ft – that’s getting big for this reef – and the wind is howling at 28 mph from the west. The morning is cross-offshore but clean; the afternoon is a mess with a near gale cross-shore.
The real standout comes on Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th. Monday morning has a solid 12ft SW swell with a 17-second period – that’s a proper groundswell – and the wind is cross-offshore at 19 mph keeping it clean. The combined energy is 7350, solid moderate-to-strong energy. That’s the best call of the first week, but only for advanced surfers given the size. Tuesday the 11th sees winds picking up to 28 mph offshore, which makes it clean but a battle to get out, with 6ft swell.
Then Wednesday the 12th brings another standout: a 13ft SW groundswell rolling in with an 18-second period, and cross-offshore wind at 25 mph. The energy reading is 9571 – that’s strong. Only for experts, and the crowds at Chinamans could be likely on a day like that. Thursday the 13th is a monster: 15ft SW swell with a 17-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore, and the energy is cranked up to 19393 – very strong. The wind is moderate, but the cross-chop will ruin it.
After that, things settle down. From Friday the 14th through to Monday the 17th, we see a drop in size – 8ft down to 4ft – but the wind improves. Sunday the 16th has a light cross-offshore breeze with 5ft swell, and Monday the 17th has offshore winds at 19 mph with 4ft swell. Scores are in the 2-4 range. Tuesday the 18th is a glassy morning with 5ft SW swell – that is excellent for experienced surfers. Wednesday the 19th picks up again to 8ft with offshore winds, but only marginal.
The end of the run on the 20th and 21st is blown out again – strong cross-shore and cross-onshore winds with 12ft and 7ft swell respectively. Not worth paddling out.
The best on offer is Monday the 10th: 12ft SW groundswell at 17 seconds, cross-offshore wind, clean, strong energy (7350). It’s a true standout. Tuesday the 18th is also a great call for a glassier, smaller session – 5ft SW, glassy, perfect for experienced surfers. With the reef setup here, these long-period SW swells will line up nice but not for beginners – anything over 5ft is too big for learners, and we’ve got plenty of that.
Water temp is sitting at 59°, right around average for the time of year – no surprises there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri night, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Thu night, strong winds from the WSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Sun morning, light winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 12 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
803 | 1364 | 2350 | 2443 | 2471 | 1761 | 1613 | 1547 | 1155 | 4136 | 5250 | 9716 | 7350 | 5074 | 2869 | 1438 | 2430 | 8604 | 9571 | 7854 | 8269 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 4:19PM0.55m | 6:55AM0.84m | 8:33AM0.83m | 11:06AM0.88m | 12:25PM0.97m | 2:55AM0.27m | 1:14PM1.05m | 2:11AM0.35m | 1:53PM1.08m | 2:26AM0.46m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:14PM0.44m | 11:00PM0.11m | 11:08PM0.10m | 11:05PM0.12m | 10:18PM0.14m | 9:24PM0.14m | 4:16AM0.27m | 9:11PM0.13m | 6:22AM0.21m | 9:14PM0.12m | |||||||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 2 | -1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 24 | SW 20 | — | — | — |
803 | 1364 | 2350 | 2443 | 2471 | 1761 | 1613 | 1547 | 1155 | — | — | — | — | 5074 | 2869 | 1438 | 88 | 1976 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | SW 18 | — | — | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 24 | — | — | — | — |
3 | 8 | 8 | 1312 | — | — | 27 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 499 | 55 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | N 6 | NW 5 | — | N 5 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 17 | — | NW 5 | NNW 6 | W 12 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
10 | — | — | 23 | 18 | 134 | 98 | — | 92 | 4136 | 5250 | 9716 | 7350 | — | 87 | 237 | 2430 | 8604 | 9571 | 7854 | 8269 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 7 | 0 | 81 | 74 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 85 | 472 | 589 | 943 | 540 | 7 | 162 | 726 | 726 | 160 | 729 | 1186 | 745 |
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.











