Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and honestly, it’s a mixed bag of a forecast. We’ve got some serious size coming through, but the wind is going to be the real story, and it’s not always a good one. The water temperature is sitting at 59° – pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first proper look we get is Friday morning, 7 August. Chinamans is a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s got a solid 7.5 ft swell pushing in from the SW with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is strong at 2475, so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind is a cross-off from the NNE at 15.5 mph, keeping things clean. It’s a bit on the bigger side, so this is for the advanced crew who know the reef. Friday afternoon drops a little to 6.9 ft, still with a 17-second period, but the wind swings to a NE cross-off at 12.4 mph, keeping it clean. The combined energy is still strong at 2471.

Saturday morning, 8 August, is a bit smaller at 5.9 ft with a 16-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the N at 18.6 mph, so it’s clean, but that fresh breeze will make it a bit of a paddle. The real standout on Saturday is the afternoon – the wind turns offshore from the N at 15.5 mph, with 5.9 ft swell from the SW and a 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 1439, but that offshore wind will make the waves clean and lined up. This is your best bet for the weekend – a solid, clean session.

Sunday, 9 August, is a write-off. Strong winds from the WSW, gusting up to 34.2 mph, and the swell is 9.8 ft with a 16-second period, but it’s just a mess. The combined energy is massive at 3887, but the cross-shore wind will chop it up. This is a day to stay on the beach, and honestly, for a beach and reef setup, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday, 10 August, sees the swell building to 11.5 ft on the morning with a 17-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 7011. The wind is a cross-shore from the WSW at 18.6 mph, so it’s lumpy. Monday afternoon drops to 9.8 ft with a 16-second period, and the wind turns to a cross-off from the W at 15.5 mph, which cleans it up a bit, but the energy is still strong at 4930. This is for the experienced crew only.

Tuesday, 11 August, has a smaller 5.9 ft swell with a 14-second period in the morning. The wind is a strong offshore from the NNW at 24.9 mph, but that’s a gale-force paddle, and the combined energy is moderate at 1630. The afternoon is similar at 4.9 ft, with a 14-second period and a strong offshore from the N at 24.9 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 1048. It’s clean, but hard work.

Wednesday, 12 August, is another messy day. The wind is howling from the W at 31.1 mph in the morning, with a 11.5 ft swell and a 19-second period. The combined energy is extreme at 9924, but the wind is cross-off and too strong. The afternoon sees a 13.1 ft swell with a 17-second period, a cross-shore from the WSW at 28.0 mph, and a combined energy of 8603. It’s a mess.

Thursday, 13 August, is a real standout. The morning has a 13.1 ft swell from the

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