Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Chinamans over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spot. The first few days – Saturday the 29th through Sunday the 30th – are pretty ordinary. Swell is hanging around 4ft to 5ft from the SW, but winds are cross-onshore and the waves are choppy and messy. The combined energy is moderate (636–839), but it’s not doing us any favours. Water temp is 59°, pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

Monday the 31st is where things start to look up. Morning brings a clean 7ft SW groundswell (19-second period – that’s proper long-period energy) with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NE. The water’s glassy, waves have shape, and that period over 15 seconds means the sets will be lined up and hollow. This is a reef break, so long-period groundswell will hit it nicely. Combined energy is strong at 3679. Afternoon holds similar – 7ft, 18-second period, light cross-off. This is the standout of the first week – clean, powerful, and set for experienced surfers.

Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell drop back to 5ft, but the wind goes offshore from the NNW, 35 km/h in the morning. That’s fresh and clean, though a bit breezy. Combined energy moderate (1248). It’s rideable but not as juicy as Monday.

Wednesday the 2nd through Thursday the 3rd stays marginal with 5ft to 8ft SW swells, moderate cross-offshore winds, and combined energy moderate to strong (1264–2201). Not terrible, but nothing to get overly excited about. Friday the 4th afternoon sees a brief uptick – 7ft, offshore NW wind at 20 km/h, clean and decent for experienced surfers (1616 energy).

Now, a heads-up: Saturday the 5th through Tuesday the 9th is a write-off. Strong cross-shore winds near gale force, swell jumping to 10ft–12ft, but the ocean’s a mess – messy cross-chop, poor conditions. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Combined energy hits 13120 at one point, but without decent wind direction, it’s no good for us.

Wednesday the 9th of September is the second big standout. Morning shows a 10ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, gentle offshore wind from the N, combined energy 4594 – strong. Afternoon holds 8ft, 17-second period, light cross-off. Both sessions are clean, powerful, and calling for experienced surfers. This is the best of the second week – promising but remember it’s long-range, so keep an eye on it.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th stay good – 8ft dropping to 5ft, offshore winds, clean. Saturday the 12th holds 7ft with offshore winds, still decent. Sunday the 13th fades: 4ft–6ft, and winds get strong again, making it marginal.

Overall, the best windows are Monday the 31st of August and Wednesday the 9th of September. Crowds are sometimes an issue at Chinamans, so for those standouts, expect some company. But with that quality, it’s worth it.

Rusty

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