Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Chinamans is your only play in this outlook, and it’s quite a ride over the next 16 days.

Right now, though, there’s nothing doing. The first decent surf won’t show until the morning of Thursday the 30th of July. So we’ve got a two-day gap of flat or messy junk before anything worthwhile.

That Thursday morning brings the first real hope. Swell drops to 6ft from the SW, period a solid 13 seconds – a proper groundswell pushing moderate wave energy (991). The wind is glassy, dead calm. That combo is a gem: clean faces, long lines rolling into this reef. It’s still advanced territory at that size, so not a beginner’s wave. The water sits at 59°, which is dead normal for this time of year. Friday the 31st of July stays good. Morning sees 4ft SW swell with a light cross-off breeze, clean as a whistle. Afternoon gets an offshore from the north, same size, period bumping to 14 seconds. Beautiful, but the swell is modest – you’ll be hunting for the sets.

Now, here’s the standout: the morning of Friday the 7th of August. Swell pushes to 8ft out of the SW, period 16 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell with strong energy (3715). Wind is gentle offshore from the NNW, making for clean, lined-up waves. This is a reef break, so that long-period swell will wrap in beautifully. It’s expert territory at that size; the power is serious. The guidance shows this as the pick of the whole window – excellent conditions for experienced surfers. Keep in mind, this spot can get crowded sometimes, and this kind of swell will bring the crew.

August 12th is a wild card. The Wednesday morning swell is a massive 12ft from the SW with a very long 19-second period, churning up extreme wave energy (17770). That’s way too big for a beginner, and the report says it may be too big for this break. Light cross-onshore wind keeps it from being messy, but only expert chargers need apply. The afternoon is similar, still huge.

There are a lot of messy days in between – Sunday the 2nd of August gets onshore winds and poor conditions, and the second week has a few clean but marginal windows. For the bulk of that second week, expect inconsistent, smaller surf with moderate breezes. Take the Thursday the 4th of August afternoon as a decent but not standout option: 4ft clean cross-off, solid 16-second period – a fun, cruisy session for the experienced.

Rusty signing off.

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