Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Chinamans.

This outlook covers a full 16 days, but there’s a bit of a rough patch in the middle. The first few days show some solid, clean groundswell but it's big, so this spot is for the experienced crew only. We get an early standout, then a ugly blowout, then some more decent windows if you time the tides and winds right.

Starting off Friday, July 10th, the morning is where it’s at. We’ve got a 6 ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period and a light offshore wind from the NNW. That’s glassy conditions for an expert reef break. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. The combined energy is solid at 1349 (moderate wave energy), meaning there’s some push behind those sets. This is the best session of the opening window – the lineup will be clean, groomed by that offshore breeze. Crowds can be a factor here sometimes, so get out early.

Friday afternoon the swell eases a bit to 5 ft and the energy drops to 952, still clean but maybe a bit tide-sensitive.

Saturday July 11th is a write-off. A near gale (31 mph) out of the SW and WSW smashes the place with 10 ft to 12 ft of cross-shore junk. Avoid it. Sunday and Monday (July 12th and 13th) come back with cleaner, cross-offshore winds but the swell is still pumping at 8 ft to 10 ft, with very long period (13 to 16 seconds). The combined energy is high (2636 to 5172). These are big, powerful groundswells. For a reef like Chinamans, that means serious, critical walls. Only for the well-experienced. It’s not a beginner’s day – anything over 8 ft is expert territory.

Tuesday July 14th is back to poor conditions with strong cross-onshore winds. A gap starts to open up with poor quality.

Wednesday July 15th is another standout. The morning shows a 7 ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds, offshore light breeze from the N at only 6 mph, combined energy of 2150. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds at 7 ft with gentle offshore from the NNW. This is your clean second window – light wind, long period lines. You’ll be trading those longer lulls for bigger, cleaner waves.

Thursday July 16th drops in size – 5 ft to 4 ft – but stays clean with offshore winds through the afternoon. It’s a solid option for someone wanting a slightly smaller, less intense session.

There’s then a run of cleaner but not perfect days from July 17th to the 18th, but the wind picks up strong (25 mph) on the 18th, making it hard to even paddle into the 3 ft leftovers. A few days of marginal quality follow, until we hit a big jump in size on July 20th and 21st.

From July 21st Tuesday afternoon, we’re back to an awesome window. A 8 ft SW groundswell at 11 seconds, light offshore from the NNW, combined energy 1745. Clean, lined up, and much more manageable in size. This is another top pick – the wind is light, the sets are solid.

Wednesday July 22nd holds clean offshore through the afternoon with a 6 ft, 19-second groundswell – that’s a very long period. At Chinamans, a reef setup, this kind of period can produce extremely long, down-the-line walls. The energy is 2633. It’s a connoisseur’s wave.

But the absolute highlight of the whole forecast is Thursday July 23rd. Morning session: 10 ft of SW groundswell, 16-second period, offshore wind from the NW at 12 mph, combined energy of 4970. That’s a serious swell with excellent conditions for experts. The afternoon still holds good but with stronger wind. This is the one to circle on the calendar if you’ve got the skills. It’s big (over 8 ft), it’s powerful, and it’s clean.

After that, the swell drops and the wind turns nasty on July 25th, ending the run.

So to wrap it up: The best two standouts are Friday July 10th morning for the classic clean start, and Thursday July 23rd for the biggest, cleanest groundswell of the series. Wednesday July 15th and Tuesday July 21st afternoon are also crackers. Everything over 8 ft is only for the experienced – this is no learner’s wave.

Rusty.

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