Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,865 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 3PM (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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m 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 2.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks, and yeah, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for us. The good news is we’ve got a window of proper groundswell coming through, but you’re going to have to pick your moments with the wind. It’s not going to be all-time, but there are a couple of windows that’ll make it worth the paddle.
The first standout is next Sunday, the 23rd of August. There’s a solid SW swell pushing in, around 6ft, and the wind drops right out. Glassy conditions in the afternoon, and the water’s sitting at 59°F, which is about normal for this time of year. This is your cleanest, most user-friendly day of the whole stretch, and the swell has good energy behind it. Definitely the one to circle on the calendar.
Before that, the early part of the week is a grind. Tuesday (18th) and Wednesday (19th) have waves, but the wind is up, blowing cross-off at 16-22 mph, and the quality is just marginal. It’s not a complete write-off, but you’ll be fighting it. By Thursday and Friday, the swell actually builds—up to the 7ft to 8ft range—but the wind swings cross-shore and it’s lumpy. It’s powerful, but it’s a bit of a mess. Not great for the lineup.
Saturday the 22nd is the same story. The swell is up around 8ft, which is getting big for beginners, and the cross-shore wind is making it a washing machine. This would be a better day for a kite than a surfboard, honestly.
Now, the second standout is a bit further out: Wednesday the 2nd of September. We’ve got a strong SW swell at 8ft, a long 16-second period, and light offshore winds forecast. It’s going to be clean and powerful. This is a week and a half away, so treat it as promising rather than set in stone, but it has all the ingredients for a proper session.
The periods in between are a bit of a lottery. The 26th and 27th look windy, with strong breezes and a jump in energy—could be a bit wild. The 29th and 30th have the wind swinging onshore and the quality drops right off, so I’d give those a miss.
For the last few days into September, we see the swell pulse again, but the wind is more cross to cross-on. It’ll still be rideable, but not as clean as those standout windows.
Anyway, that’s the long and short of it. Get out there for the glassy Sunday, keep an eye on the first Wednesday of September, and you’ll be fine.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Tue night, light winds from the WSW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 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 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1174 | 834 | 480 | 444 | 1714 | 1329 | 1551 | 897 | 2002 | 1382 | 2790 | 2794 | 2634 | 2259 | 1760 | 2442 | 1787 | 936 | 581 | 852 | 827 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 4:16PM0.66m | 5:12AM0.83m | 4:16PM0.57m | 5:43AM0.79m | 3:52PM0.52m | 6:19AM0.74m | 1:59PM0.52m | 7:29AM0.68m | 12:20PM0.72m | 12:56PM0.79m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:49AM0.25m | 10:25PM0.09m | 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 | ||||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 21 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 1174 | 834 | 480 | 444 | 69 | 1329 | 1551 | 897 | 2002 | 1382 | 2790 | 2794 | 2634 | 2259 | 1760 | 2442 | 1787 | 936 | 581 | 852 | 827 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | — | E 4 | — | SW 20 | SW 18 | WSW 15 | SW 10 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 287 | — | 1 | — | 64 | 275 | 897 | 137 | 244 | 984 | — | — | 87 | 368 | 552 | 395 | — | — | 65 | 184 | 370 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NNW 5 | W 7 | WSW 15 | — | — | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | W 4 | — |
| kJ | 17 | 31 | 67 | 263 | 1714 | — | — | 248 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 13 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 112 | 81 | 164 | 163 | 168 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 138 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
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