Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the lowdown on Chinamans for the next couple of weeks.

This is a classic exposed reef break, and it's got some serious potential. The water is about 59°, which is normal for this time of year, so nothing to worry about.

We kick things off on Thursday, August 13th, with a big, powerful SW groundswell. The combined energy is massive – over 4000 – with waves around 10 feet. The wind is messy on the morning, but it cleans up by the afternoon as it turns cross-offshore. Still, 10-foot surf on a reef is for experts only.

The real standout is Friday morning, August 14th. The swell is still a solid 10 feet from the SW, with a 16-second period, meaning it's a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is nearly 4000. But the wind is the key here – a light, 6 mph cross-offshore breeze. That's going to glass the wave faces up. It's described as excellent for experienced surfers, and that's the truth. It's going to be clean, powerful, and reeling down the reef. The paddle out will be a mission, but the longer gaps between sets will help. This is the best session of the whole forecast.

The wind goes onshore from the ESE from Friday afternoon through the weekend. The swell drops a bit to 6-7 feet, but the combined energy is still high (over 2000). The chop and onshore wind will make it a bumpy mess. Saturday and Sunday are not worth paddling out for.

Monday, August 17th, sees lighter winds, but the swell has dropped to around 5 feet. It's marginal. Then Tuesday, August 18th, the wind goes offshore from the north, but the swell is down to 4-5 feet. The energy is moderate (around 850-1477), but the clean conditions mean it'll be a fun, smaller wave.

The next proper highlight is a week away, on Thursday morning, August 20th. The swell bumps back up to 7 feet from the SW, with a 16-second period and a combined energy of 1880. A moderate offshore wind from the north will keep it clean. This is solid, powerful surf for experienced surfers again.

After that, we get a big spike in swell around August 23rd and 24th – 10 feet plus – but it's accompanied by very strong winds, making it a chaotic mess. Then we have a massive pulse on August 26th, with waves hitting 13 feet and a combined energy of over 13,000. That's a ridiculous amount of energy, but the wind is a strong onshore, so it's going to be lumpy, choppy, and dangerous. That's a day for the tow-in crew or the very brave. The surf finally cleans up in the last few days of the month, but it's back to smaller, cleaner waves around 3 feet.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning, August 14th is the absolute winner – big, clean, powerful groundswell with light offshore winds. Thursday morning, August 20th is the next best bet, a solid, clean, powerful session.

Rusty out.

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