
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,717 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s 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 (Jul 18) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it. We've got a solid run of surf coming up at Chinamans, a real reef setup that loves a solid SW swell. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing to complain about there.
The action kicks off on Saturday, 18 July. It's a bit of a slow start, but the morning brings a clean 4 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and a gentle cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate (546). It's not the biggest, but the conditions are clean and it's a good way to ease into the weekend. The afternoon continues with a similar story, just a little smaller at 4 ft.
Sunday, 19 July, is where we start to see a shift. The morning is a bit cloudy, but the wind is offshore from the N, and we've got a 3 ft SW swell. The real standout is the afternoon: an offshore NNW wind at 12 mph, with the swell holding at 3 ft but the period jumping to a very long 18 seconds. The energy jumps up to 667 (moderate), and the wave comment says "very good surf conditions." This is a proper groundswell, and on a reef like Chinamans, that long period is going to produce some lined-up, powerful waves. This is one of the best windows.
Monday, 20 July, is another beauty. Offshore winds all day, with a building swell hitting 5 ft by the afternoon out of the SW, with a solid 14-second period. The energy is climbing into the 700s (moderate). The morning is a little cloudy, but the afternoon is clean with a gentle offshore breeze. This is a fantastic day for anyone who's comfortable on a reef.
Tuesday, 21 July, pushes the swell up a notch. The morning sees a 5 ft SW swell, with a 13-second period, and a gentle offshore wind. The combined energy is a healthy 892 (moderate). The afternoon drops slightly to 5 ft but the wind goes cross-off. It's still clean, but the morning is the pick of the day. This is getting into the territory where beginners might find it a bit much, but for the experienced crew, it's game on.
We hit a bit of a lull on Wednesday, 22 July. The wind swings cross-shore, and while there's a 4 ft swell in the afternoon, the conditions are described as "marginal." The clean lines are gone for a bit.
Thursday, 23 July, sees a jump in size to 7 ft SW, but the morning is messy with a cross-onshore wind. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze, but the forecast is still "marginal." The energy is now strong (1945), so there's plenty of power, but it's not the best quality.
The run from Friday, 24 July, through to Tuesday, 28 July, is a real mixed bag of size and wind. We've got consistent SW swell in the 5 ft to 7 ft range, with the period staying solid. The winds are mostly cross-off, keeping the faces clean, but the "marginal" tag keeps popping up. The energy level is strong, hitting the 1600s and 1800s. The big caveat here is Sunday, 26 July. The morning has a howling 28 mph offshore wind with a 6 ft swell. The wave comment says "strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into." That's a serious session for experts only, and the wind is so strong it'll be a battle just to get out. The afternoon is a write-off with strong cross-shore winds.
Now, here's a potential standout in the second week. On Wednesday, 29 July, the afternoon suddenly fires up. An 12 ft WSW swell, with a short 9-second period, but it's got an offshore wind and the wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The energy is strong (1874). That is a big, powerful slab for experts only. Don't even think about it if you're not confident.
Thursday, 30 July, is a monster. The morning has an 12 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and the energy is very strong (4649). But the wind is cross-onshore. The afternoon is where it gets insane: a 13 ft WSW swell, 14-second period, and the energy is off the charts at 11820. The wind is cross-shore, so it's not perfect, but the sheer power is staggering. This is a session for the brave or the foolish.
Unfortunately, the final few days of the window, from 31 July through to 2 August, are a total blowout. Onshore winds from the S and SSE, strong to fresh, and the surf is just messy and poor. The swell is still there, but you wouldn't want to be out in it.
Overall, the best windows are Sunday afternoon, 19 July, and Monday, 20 July, for the best combination of clean conditions and solid, long-period swell. For the big wave hunters, keep an eye on Wednesday afternoon, 29 July, and Thursday, 30 July, but that's a serious step up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat night, min 13°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Tue afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
526 | 444 | 277 | 212 | 522 | 823 | 714 | 857 | 1130 | 892 | 688 | 457 | 1176 | 1249 | 2742 | 2544 | 3717 | 2586 | 1521 | 1271 | 1218 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 10:19AM0.78m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:03PM0.24m | ||||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 14 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
526 | 444 | 277 | 212 | 522 | 823 | 714 | 857 | 1130 | 892 | 688 | 457 | 51 | 92 | 2742 | 2544 | 3717 | 2586 | 1521 | 1271 | 1218 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 6 | SW 20 | WSW 12 | W 7 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | SSW 15 | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — |
20 | 11 | 3 | 186 | 180 | 62 | 24 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 21 | — | — | 251 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 21 | — | SSW 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 18 | — | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | NW 7 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 5 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 1 | 6 | 6 | 41 | 8 | — | — | — | 2 | 12 | 1176 | 1249 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 | 7 | 29 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 160 |
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.










