Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

First up, we’ve got a solid run of SW groundswell coming through for Chinamans (reef break). It’s an advanced spot, exposed to the SW, and it’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The week kicks off on Monday the 10th with a big pulse of swell – 12 ft from the SW, period 17 seconds, and a combined energy of 6886 (moderate to strong). Problem is, the wind is howling from the SW at 22 mph, cross-onshore, making it lumpy. Not one to get excited about. Monday afternoon drops a touch to 10 ft, but still cross-shore wind at 19 mph, so messy.

Tuesday the 11th sees the swell ease to 6 ft, but the wind swings NNW offshore at 22 mph, blowing clean. The period is 14 seconds, so there’s still some push. However, the combined energy drops to 1402, so it’s weaker. And at 6 ft, it’s still pretty solid for a reef break, not for beginners. The offshore wind is a major positive, but it’s marginal. The afternoon is similar, 5 ft, strong offshore at 25 mph, but that wind makes it hard to paddle into.

Wednesday the 12th gets another bump – 12 ft SW swell, 17 seconds, energy jumps to 8119. But the wind is back to cross-shore from the WSW at 22 mph, so it’s lumpy again. The afternoon is much the same, 10 ft, 9089 energy, but still cross-shore. Not clean.

Thursday the 13th: still a solid 10 ft SW swell, 16 seconds, energy 4189. The morning wind is moderate cross-shore from the WSW at 12 mph, so there’s chop. The afternoon improves a bit – wind drops to 12 mph from the W, cross-offshore, and the report says “clean.” That’s a window. The swell is 8 ft, so it’s big, but clean at a reef break with a long period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. Could be a standout for the week if you can handle the size.

Friday the 14th: 10 ft SW, 17 seconds, 5435 energy. Morning wind is gentle cross-shore, slight chop. Afternoon goes cross-onshore, so it gets choppy again. Not the pick.

Saturday the 15th is a write-off – onshore wind, 8 ft, messy.

Sunday the 16th: smaller, 6 ft, cross-onshore wind, not great.

Now, Monday the 17th – the morning is still a bit average, but Monday afternoon is a beauty. The swell drops to 5 ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, energy 1155. And the wind? Glassy. NNW at 3 mph, dead calm. This is where it gets good for experienced surfers – clean, lined-up waves. That’s your best bet for the first week.

Tuesday the 18th keeps it clean: 4 ft to 5 ft SW, long period 18-19 seconds, light cross-offshore winds. Glassy or clean all day. The energy is moderate (1500), but the quality is high. This is a great session for a reef break – long period groundswell, clean, and not too big.

Wednesday the 19th: still clean, but wind picks up to 16 mph cross-offshore. Swell 5 ft, period 16 seconds. A bit more wind, but still rideable.

Thursday the 20th builds again. The morning is 8 ft SW, 16 seconds, 3452 energy, moderate cross-offshore wind. Then Thursday afternoon is the standout of the whole outlook: 12 ft SW, 15 seconds, combined energy 5603, with gentle offshore wind from the NW at 9 mph. That’s exceptional for expert surfers. This is a big, clean, powerful swell at Chinamans. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is the session to circle – Thursday the 20th afternoon.

Friday the 21st: still solid, 8 ft to 8 ft, clean, but the wind is a bit stronger. Good, but not as good as Thursday.

The last few days – Saturday the 22nd through to Tuesday the 25th – the swell drops to 5 ft-6 ft, but the wind gets strong again, 19-34 mph, and it’s mostly cross-offshore or cross-onshore. The energy drops, and the conditions turn poor. Not worth it.

So, overall: the first week is a mixed bag of big swell and lumpy wind, but you’ve got a true standout on Monday the 17th afternoon with glassy conditions, and another on Thursday the 20th afternoon with big, clean, offshore power. Those are the ones to aim for. The rest is either too windy or too small.

Rusty.

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