Chinamans Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.29° S 136.87° E

Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 2 pm 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Chinamans sea temperature is
15.3° C
0.3° 

Chinamans surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Chinamans surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,783 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Sun 26th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Best Surf 6AM (Sat 1st Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 18s
Most Powerful 3AM (Wed 29th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

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.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sun morning, strong winds from the NW by Mon afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Thu morning).

Sat
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
0
0
0
2
1
2
1
1
2
3
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
13
1.5
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
1.3
SW
12
1.1
SW
12
1.3
SW
13
2
W
10
2.3
WSW
12
2.4
SW
15
3
SW
14
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
16
2.5
SW
14
2
SW
14
1.7
SW
13
1.5
SW
13
1.3
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
0.8
SW
20
1
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
851
624
469
427
338
637
745
1422
2629
3710
6606
4529
2704
1408
991
744
552
380
455
614
Wind (km/h)
25
WSW
15
SW
10
WNW
15
NW
25
NNW
35
NNW
45
NW
30
WNW
40
WSW
50
SW
35
SSW
20
S
20
SSW
15
S
10
S
10
SSW
10
ESE
10
NE
10
N
15
NNE
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
12:49PM0.90m
1:24PM0.96m
2:45AM0.37m
1:54PM1.01m
2:43AM0.41m
2:20PM1.04m
2:54AM0.45m
2:44PM1.05m
3:10AM0.51m
3:07PM1.04m
3:30AM0.57m
Low Tide
10:07PM0.23m
9:39PM0.22m
9:34PM0.20m
6:03AM0.32m
9:37PM0.19m
6:55AM0.27m
9:44PM0.17m
7:35AM0.24m
9:54PM0.16m
8:10AM0.21m
10:04PM0.16m
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:20
7:20
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:38
 mm
1
1
1
1
Temp °C
15
14
14
14
14
14
16
14
13
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
11
12
12
12
Feels °C
11
11
12
11
11
7
6
8
4
2
3
6
7
8
9
8
8
9
9
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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