Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Chinamans.

This is a solid reef setup, and it’s exposed to the SW, which is exactly the direction the swell is hammering in from. The water temp is sitting around 60°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing unusual there. We’ve got a good run of surf on the cards, but it’s a slow start.

The first real action kicks off Monday afternoon, July 13th. We’re looking at a 12 ft SW swell with a 16-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, packing a lot of energy (7760). The wind is a cross-off from the W at 22 mph, which will keep it clean enough, but this is a big, powerful wave. Over 8 ft, so this is expert territory only. Beginners, stay out of the water.

Tuesday morning, July 14th, sees a drop in size to 10 ft, but the wind swings cross-on from the SW, making it choppy and messy. Not your day. Tuesday afternoon improves a little with a cross-shore breeze, but it’s still not clean.

Then we hit the sweet spot. Wednesday, July 15th, is a standout. The morning session brings a 7 ft SW swell (1941 combined energy) with a light cross-off from the NNE. That’s clean. But the afternoon is where it gets magic – glassy conditions, 7 ft of SW swell, and a 14-second period. That’s a wave you’ll be telling stories about. Perfect for experienced surfers.

Thursday, July 16th, holds the quality. Morning is clean with a 5 ft SW swell (1849) and a light NNE cross-off. Afternoon bumps up to 7 ft and a 16-second period (2080), still with a clean cross-off. Keep the stoke high.

Friday, July 17th, stays clean, but the swell is a touch smaller around 6 ft to 7 ft. Still good, but not the standout. Saturday, July 18th, the energy drops off significantly – down to 4 ft and 4 ft, with combined energy in the 400 to 500 range. It’s small, but the wind is still cross-off.

Sunday, July 19th, sees a weird one. A tiny 2 ft swell but with a 20-second period – that’s an incredibly long groundswell. The wind is offshore from the N, so it’ll be clean, but with that period, it’s going to break straight and fat at a beach break. For a reef like Chinamans, it could be a bit slow and walled up. Worth a look for the novelty, but don’t expect barrels.

The next real highlight comes on Thursday, July 24th. The swell jumps back up to 7 ft from the SW with a 17-second period (2846 combined energy). The wind is a clean cross-off from the WNW. This is a big, powerful, long-period groundswell. For a reef, that’s a recipe for deep, fast waves. Only for experts again.

After that, the swell settles into a mellow 4 ft to 5 ft range but with clean offshore winds from the NNW through the weekend of July 25th and 26th. Nice, clean, fun-size waves.

The last week of the month gets a bit wild. Monday, July 27th, the wind cranks up to 31 mph offshore from the NNW. While it’s offshore, that’s near-gale force – it’ll be howling, making it nearly impossible to paddle into. The swell is 7 ft with a 17-second period (2436), but the wind will ruin it. Tues, July 28th, drops to a moderate breeze but still messy with light rain. Not the best way to end the run.

My pick for the best on offer: Wednesday, July 15th afternoon – glassy, 7 ft, and a solid SW groundswell. That’s the one you clear your schedule for. The second stand-out is Thursday, July 24th, for the bigger, cleaner power.

Right, that’s the story.
Rusty.

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