Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the forecast for Chinamans. This reef is the only game in town for the next 16 days, and it’s a ripper of a run for those who can handle it. The water’s sittin’ at 60°, which is just about bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The whole stretch kicks off proper on Thursday, July 16th. The morning has a solid 7ft SW groundswell, with a long 15-second period, and the combined energy is chunky at 1801. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 6 mph, keeping things clean. It’s a big, powerful wave for experienced surfers only. That afternoon, the wind swings to a light offshore from the NNW at 3 mph, making it even cleaner. The swell tickles up to 7ft with a 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 2107. This is true stand-out quality, glassy, long-period groundswell lining up beautifully on the reef.

Friday, July 17th, keeps the momentum. A 6ft SW swell, 16-second period, 1571 energy in the morning with a cross-off NNE breeze. The afternoon cleans up with a light offshore NNW wind and a slightly smaller 5ft swell, but still packing 1265 energy. It’s still excellent for experienced surfers.

Saturday, July 18th, sees a drop in size to 4ft, but the period holds at 14 seconds, and the morning is clean with a cross-off breeze. The afternoon gets smaller and the wind turns more cross-off, but it’s still a fun, clean wave.

Sunday, July 19th, the swell drops further to 3ft, but the afternoon brings a surprise. A very long 18-second period SW groundswell with 663 energy, and glassy offshore winds from the NNW. That’s a sneaky good session for the longboard or a fish, super clean and lined up.

The next week, from Monday, July 20th, through to Sunday, July 26th, is a steady run of solid SW groundswells. Expect waist-to-head-high waves, clean conditions with offshore or cross-off winds, and plenty of energy in the 400 to 900 range. The reef will be handling it all well. This is a very consistent stretch.

Now, the real standout for the big wave crew lands on Sunday, July 26th, in the afternoon. A 8ft WSW swell, 13-second period, and a massive 2181 combined energy. The wind is a moderate offshore from the N at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but powerful. This is expert territory.

Then things get wild. Monday, July 27th, has a 12ft SW swell, with a 14-second period in the morning and 15 seconds in the afternoon. The energy is enormous, over 5000 in both sessions. The wind is fresh offshore from the N and NNW, so it’s clean, but it’s a beast. Only for the most experienced. Tuesday, July 28th, the swell stays at 12ft, but the wind goes onshore from the SSE, making it a big, messy, dangerous mess. Not one for paddling.

The tail end of the run, from Wednesday, July 29th, to Friday, July 31st, gets messy. The wind is onshore from the S and SE, and the swell is still big, up to 10ft with a very long 19-second period, but the onshore wind will chop it up. A lot of energy in the thousands, but it’s a battle. The early part of the run, from Thursday, July 16th, to Sunday, July 26th, is the clear pick for quality.

So, the best of the best? It’s a tie between the first day, Thursday, July 16th, with that glassy, long-period 7ft afternoon session, and the Sunday, July 26th, afternoon with the big, clean 8ft set. The whole run is a surfer’s dream for the experienced, just keep an eye on that wind.

Rusty.

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