Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's get into it. The next week and a half is shaping up to be a bit of a mixed bag for us here, but there are some absolute gems to get excited about if you've got the skill. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year at 60°, so nothing crazy there.

The pick of the window is hands down Saturday, August 1st. We’ve got a solid SW groundswell pulsing in, and the offshore winds from the NNW are going to have the peaks at Chinamans looking like a photo. The morning session will see clean 5-foot sets with a very long 18-second period, so the energy is proper (1367 combined energy). That’s a wave that will freight train down the reef. The afternoon bumps up to 6 feet, still with that long 17-second period, and the wind stays offshore. This is for the advanced crew only. It’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it works best with a SW direction, which is exactly what we’ve got. Crowds are possible here, so be ready to share.

Before that, we have a few windows that are worth a look. The first real clean spell comes in on Sunday morning, July 26th. The swell has dropped to 4 feet from the SW with a 12-second period, but the wind is light and cross-offshore from the WNW. The energy is moderate (479), but the conditions will be clean. It’s not the standout, but it’s a nice way to ease into the period.

Friday, July 31st is another sneaky good day. The swell is small, dropping from 4 feet in the morning to 3 feet in the afternoon, but don’t sleep on it. The period jumps from 13 seconds to a staggering 20 seconds in the afternoon, and the wind goes light offshore from the north. The energy is moderate (883) for that afternoon session, but with that kind of period, the wave quality will be high. It’s a classic long-period groundswell that will really wrap around the point.

Things get a bit gnarly around the middle of the week. Tuesday, July 28th and Wednesday, July 29th are a write-off. The onshore winds and messy conditions from huge swells (nearly 10 feet and up to 3.7m combined energy) will be a battle. The 28th has near gale-force winds, so it’s a hard pass for paddling.

The second week is a bit more of a gamble, but keep an eye on Saturday, August 8th. The morning has a clean 6-foot SW swell with a 16-second period, and moderate offshore winds from the NE. The energy is strong (1959). It’s promising, but it’s a long way out, so don’t lock in your plans yet. The following Sunday, August 9th, looks messy again with onshore winds.

To sum it up, the best on offer is the Saturday, August 1st double-header at Chinamans. If you’re an experienced surfer, that’s your day. The Friday, July 31st afternoon session is a beautiful, mellow standby for anyone who wants to ride some long, clean lines.

Rusty.

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