Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a long-range look at what’s cooking for Chinamans.

Right off the bat, the first surf we’ve got to talk about is a deep-water groundswell event that starts kicking in on Wednesday afternoon, the 5th of August. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The swell energy is already pumping hard with a reading of 1163 (moderate) and it's only going to ramp up from there.

Wednesday the 5th itself is a solid, clean option. We’re looking at 4ft of SW swell with a very long 18-second period, so that’s proper groundswell. The wind is light and offshore from the north, just a moderate breeze, keeping the surfaces clean. It’s a sweet window for experienced surfers, and while the crowd factor is listed as "sometimes," don't be surprised if a few other locals sniff out the same conditions.

Thursday the 6th turns ugly fast. The wind swings cross-on and the surf gets chopped out – a total write-off. Friday the 7th stays big and messy with some strong winds; the waves are there but the quality is shot.

The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is Monday morning, the 10th of August. This is the big one. We’ve got a massive 12ft SW groundswell running a 17-second period. The combined wave energy is a staggering 9854 (strong), which tells you just how much power is in the water. The wind is offshore from the northwest, keeping it glassy and clean. The catch? At over 8ft, this is strictly for experts. If you’re not comfortable in serious, powerful surf, sit this one out. This is the session for the crew who live for the big stuff.

The second half of the week from the 11th gets tricky. There’s plenty of size, but the wind goes onshore or cross-shore, making a mess of things. It’s not until Thursday the 13th afternoon and Friday the 14th that we see a return to form. Thursday the 13th afternoon has 12ft of SW swell with an 18-second period, and the wind turns light cross-off, and the energy is still massive at 7701. It’s clean and powerful – another proper day for the experienced crew. Friday the 14th afternoon drops slightly to 8ft but with a 19-second period and light offshore wind. The energy is still high at 5005, and conditions are exceptional.

Then into the second week, we get a run of good-looking days from Saturday the 15th of August through the following week. Saturday the 15th morning has 10ft of SW swell, low wind, and the combined energy is 5406. The real treat is Saturday afternoon when the wind goes glassy – dead calm, 10ft swell, and 4633 energy. That is as good as it gets for a reef break like Chinamans.

There are a few other notable days: Monday the 18th afternoon has 8ft of SW swell with an 18-second period and light cross-off wind, and then Wednesday the 19th afternoon is another big standout with 10ft of WSW groundswell and a moderate offshore wind, delivering 7292 energy.

Overall, this is a really good run for Chinamans. It’s all advanced-level stuff, but the windows of clean, powerful surf are frequent. The absolute best bet is Monday the 10th morning for the sheer power and size, and Saturday the 15th afternoon for the surreal glassy conditions. Keep your eyes on those dates.

Rusty.

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