Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 8,790 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 15s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chinamans this week:
The surf forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 21s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chinamans in the next 16 days are 3.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s heading for Chinamans over the next couple of weeks.
It’s a slow start. Monday the 3rd of August is a mess with a 8ft cross-shore wind and a lumpy surface. Not worth your time. Things pick up on Tuesday the 4th. The morning is still average, but Tuesday afternoon looks promising. The swell drops to 5ft from the SW, the wind goes glassy, and the period jumps to 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and with the reef at Chinamans, those long-period waves will wrap in nicely. The water is at 59°, which is normal for this time of year.
Wednesday the 5th afternoon is a real standout. The swell is 4ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 18 seconds, and we get offshore wind from the NNW. The combined energy is pumping at 1268 (moderate energy), and with the reef setup, those waves will have plenty of shape and power. Clean, offshore, and a good window for experienced surfers.
Thursday the 6th is a write-off – onshore wind and messy. Friday the 7th is clean with cross-offshore winds and a solid 7ft SW swell, but the conditions are a bit average. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are blown out by near-gale winds, so stay home.
If you’re an expert, mark Monday the 10th of August on your calendar. We’ve got a heavy 12ft SW swell with a 16-17 second period, and the wind is offshore or cross-offshore. The combined energy is massive at 6420 to 6603 (strong wave energy). These are big, powerful, clean waves for the experienced crew only. This is the best of the whole run. Tuesday the 11th is similar, but with stronger winds making it harder to get in.
The end of the second week is a mixed bag. The 16th of August (Sunday) has a glassy morning with a 8ft SW swell and a 16-second period. That’s a solid wave for the experts, and the glassy conditions make it a real treat. After that, the swell drops and the wind turns onshore, so it fades out.
For the best sessions, I’d be locking in Wednesday the 5th afternoon for the clean, long-period groundswell, and then Monday the 10th for the big, powerful, offshore waves. Crowds are sometimes a factor at Chinamans, so keep an eye out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed night, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, near gales from the NNW by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2299 | 1137 | 799 | 836 | 483 | 529 | 1124 | 955 | 803 | 1245 | 2039 | 2295 | 2442 | 1848 | 1943 | 2157 | 5441 | 4447 | 5549 | 7956 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:06PM0.85m | 4:45AM0.76m | 4:21PM0.75m | 5:18AM0.80m | 4:29PM0.65m | 5:59AM0.83m | 4:19PM0.55m | 6:55AM0.84m | 8:33AM0.83m | 11:06AM0.88m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:33PM0.15m | 10:33AM0.28m | 10:42PM0.14m | 11:17AM0.35m | 10:51PM0.12m | 12:14PM0.44m | 11:00PM0.11m | 11:08PM0.10m | 11:05PM0.12m | 10:18PM0.14m | ||||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | |  |  |  |  | |  | | |
 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | SW 19 | — |
| kJ | 2299 | 1137 | 799 | 836 | 440 | 360 | 1124 | 955 | 803 | 1245 | 2039 | 2295 | 2442 | 1848 | 1943 | 2157 | — | — | 1782 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | — | WSW 20 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 354 | 211 | 108 | 483 | 529 | 144 | — | 152 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 67 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | N 4 | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | N 6 | NNW 6 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 1947 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 141 | 118 | 5441 | 4447 | 5549 | 7956 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 729 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 164 | 728 | 911 | 1240 | 1238 | 1186 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Chinamans surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Chinamans Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Chinamans provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Chinamans can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Chinamans surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Chinamans) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Chinamans may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Yorke Peninsula? If you are looking for accommodation near Chinamans, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Yorke Peninsula, consider staying in Kingscote which is 80 km (50 miles) away.
Nearest