Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Chinamans over the next couple of weeks.

The outlook starts off a bit average, but hang in there because there's a proper standout session brewing if you're patient. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off on Sunday the 13th with a solid 4ft to 5ft SW groundswell, with a long 16-second period. The energy is moderate to strong (920 to 1018). The wind is a cross-off, which keeps it clean, but the forecast calls it marginal, so the tide might be playing games. It's surfable, but not the pick of the window.

Monday the 14th sees similar size, but the wind swings cross-shore in the morning creating a bit of chop, so it's a bit messier. The afternoon cleans up again with a cross-off breeze.

Tuesday the 15th brings a jump in size to 8ft to 8ft, but it's all onshore wind. That’s a no-go for a decent wave; the energy is huge (2282 to 3848), but with that wind, it's just a blown-out mess. This continues through Wednesday the 16th with strong cross-onshore wind and similar size, making it a write-off.

Thursday the 17th is where things get interesting. The swell drops back to 6ft in the morning, but the real highlight is the afternoon. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the north at just 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 5ft from the SW. The energy is moderate (754). This is the kind of session you wait for – glassy conditions and a long-period groundswell. For a reef break like Chinamans, this is where it shines. The crowd factor is "sometimes", so you might have some company, but for conditions like this, it's worth it.

Friday the 18th is another good one. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the wind goes offshore from the NNW, blowing at 12 to 19 mph. The period is a very long 18 seconds in the morning. This is proper clean, lined-up surf. The morning has a fresh offshore, the afternoon is a bit lighter. Great conditions.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th sees the swell drop right off on Saturday to under 3ft, and then a massive, windy swell hits on Sunday the 20th with 8ft from the SW and a strong 25 mph cross-wind. That’s a hard pass.

Then we get to the real standout of the entire forecast. Tuesday the 22nd of September. The morning session is an absolute beast. An 12ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period is pumping in, and the energy is through the roof (7522). The wind is a light 6 mph cross-off from the WNW. This is "exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers." At 12ft, this is strictly for the experienced crew. This is the big one.

The following days get messy with strong onshore winds, but there is another glimmer on Friday the 25th of September with a 10ft SW swell and a clean cross-off wind. Again, that's expert territory, but the energy is massive (7011). Saturday the 26th is smaller and cleaner but not as special.

Finally, on Sunday the 27th, the morning session offers a repeat of that glassy magic with a 5ft SW swell, dead calm NW wind at 3 mph, and a 14-second period. Another clean, fun session to close out the window.

So, the standout is undoubtedly Tuesday the 22nd of September for the experts. The best all-rounder for a fun, clean wave is the glassy Thursday afternoon the 17th of September and the glassy Sunday morning the 27th of September.

Rusty.

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