
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 10 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 6,605 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 15s period. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) 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 (Jul 11) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's break down what's cooking for the next couple of weeks. It's a bumpy start, but there are some gems hidden in there.
The first weekend is a total bust. Saturday the 11th has a solid 10-foot (3.0m) to 12-foot (3.5m) WSW swell, but it's getting destroyed by gusts up to 34 mph, making for a complete mess. Sunday the 12th isn't much better, with strong wind still ruining the fun despite the swell dropping a bit.
Now, here's the headline act. Monday the 13th is the one for the big-wave chargers. A massive, long-period groundswell (16 seconds) rolls in from the SW, packing some serious punch. Wave heights are hitting 12 feet (3.5m), with combined wave energy off the charts over 7200. That's proper, heavy stuff. Chinamans (Sydney) is a reef break that handles a SW swell, but at this size, it's experts only. The wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze. If you're experienced, this is the session you've been waiting for. For everyone else, stay on the beach.
Tuesday the 14th still has that huge swell but the wind turns onshore and chops it up, so not as good.
Then things calm down for a magic day. Wednesday the 15th is a beauty. The swell settles to a manageable 7 feet (2.1m) in the morning and 6 feet (1.9m) in the afternoon. The period is still a long 15 seconds, so the waves have proper shape and power. The combined energy is moderate. But the real story is the wind: a light offshore breeze in the morning, turning completely glassy in the afternoon. You can't beat that. For experienced surfers, this is the pick of the week for quality, clean waves.
Thursday the 16th offers another clean day with a smaller 5-foot (1.5m) SW swell and a light offshore wind in the afternoon. It'll be a fun, less demanding session.
After that, the swell drops off for a few days, leaving only small waves on Saturday the 18th.
Looking long-range, Sunday the 19th shows a promising but distant pulse. A very long period (19 seconds) groundswell arrives, but with strong offshore winds (25 mph). The waves will look perfect but be a real mission to paddle into. The energy is high, but it's too far out to get excited about just yet.
The following week is a mixed bag of onshore winds and lumpy conditions, with a few windows of cleaner cross-offshore breezes around Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd for a 5 to 6-foot (2-1.8m) swell, but it's all over a week away, so the certainty is low.
Bottom line: the weekend is a washout. Monday the 13th is for the big-wave specialists. Wednesday the 15th is the prime target for just about anyone who can handle a decent swell.
Keep your wits about you. Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the NW on Fri night, near gales from the WSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Mon night, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Fri 17 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
668 | 1093 | 2717 | 3588 | 2973 | 2917 | 6262 | 6274 | 5686 | 6410 | 5233 | 4136 | 2662 | 2021 | 1654 | 1108 | 899 | 810 | 1707 | 1764 | 1432 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:10AM0.97m | 12:14PM1.07m | 1:22AM0.26m | 1:06PM1.16m | 1:50AM0.30m | 1:51PM1.21m | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | 3:09PM1.19m | 3:30AM0.53m | 3:42PM1.12m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 00:38AM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 9:31PM0.21m | 3:57AM0.24m | 9:29PM0.18m | 5:42AM0.21m | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | 10:20PM0.16m | 8:40AM0.16m | |||||||||
— | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | |
— | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | |
mm | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | N 6 | — | — | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 15 | SW 20 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
668 | 10 | — | — | 19 | 61 | 2328 | 954 | 1832 | 3074 | 2761 | 4136 | 2662 | 2021 | 1654 | 1108 | 899 | 810 | 1707 | 1764 | 1432 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | SW 18 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 163 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 184 | 379 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | — | NE 3 | NE 4 |
58 | 1093 | 2717 | 3588 | 2973 | 2917 | 6262 | 6274 | 5686 | 6410 | 5233 | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 17 | — | 4 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 728 | 968 | 968 | 1186 | 1287 | 726 | 1034 | 1275 | 729 | 162 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 79 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











