Chinamans Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.29° S 136.87° E

Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 pm 14 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Chinamans sea temperature is
15.3°C
0.9° 

Chinamans surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Chinamans surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 2,686 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s 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 Thursday (Sep 17) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Chinamans in the next 16 days are 2.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Thu 17th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 14s
Best Surf12AM (Fri 18th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 9AM (Wed 16th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let's break down what's happening at Chinamans.

We've got swell on the way, but the first few days are going to be rough. Tuesday and Wednesday are looking at solid SW groundswell, but with onshore winds making a mess of things. The energy is strong, but it's not going to be pretty. You're better off staying on shore for that.

Thursday the 17th, things start to settle. The swell eases to around 5ft, and the afternoon turns glassy. That's your first real window of clean surf. Friday the 18th is also looking decent with offshore winds and a long-period SW swell. Smaller, but clean. Think chest to head high.

The weekend brings more size, but also more wind. Saturday and Sunday are blown out with strong breezes and messy conditions. Not worth the paddle out.

The start of the next week is still a bit cross, but Tuesday afternoon the 22nd looks like a solid pick. Clean 6ft of SW swell, light cross-off wind, and good energy. That's a fun, pushy wave for experienced surfers. The middle of the week, around the 24th and 25th, drops in size but looks super clean with glassy mornings. Good chance for a peaceful session on a longboard.

Now, the big one. Saturday September 26th. We're looking at a massive SW groundswell with a 19-second period, pushing in at over 11ft. The energy numbers are huge. This is a serious, heavy, expert-only wave. The wind is light, but slightly onshore, so it won't be perfect. But for the chargers, this is as good as it gets. It's a long-range forecast, so keep an eye on it, but if it comes together, it will be a day to remember.

After that, Sunday is blown out again, and the following days have more cross-shore winds and chop.

The standout is clearly that Saturday the 26th. It's big and powerful, not for the faint of heart. A solid secondary option would be Tuesday afternoon the 22nd for a more manageable but still solid session. Water temp is normal for this time of year.

Chinamans is usually fairly consistent, so this poor start shouldn't last. Stay tuned to that forecast for the end of the month.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Mon night, calm by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the W by Sun morning).

Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
Sunday
20
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
3
4
2
3
2
1
1
0
1
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
16
2.4
SW
15
2.5
SW
14
2.4
SW
15
2.5
SW
15
2.4
SW
15
2.1
SW
15
1.6
SW
14
1.4
SW
14
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
17
1.1
SW
15
0.8
SW
14
0.7
SW
13
0.6
SW
13
0.4
SW
18
2.1
WSW
16
2.5
SW
14
1.8
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1347
2525
2680
2424
2686
2620
2048
1079
776
1039
918
525
293
173
138
82
2102
2499
851
Wind (km/h)
30
SSW
25
S
25
SSE
20
SE
20
SE
15
ESE
20
ESE
15
ENE
5
NNW
15
NNE
25
NNW
15
N
10
NNE
25
N
20
N
30
N
40
W
35
W
15
WSW
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
High Tide
3:39AM0.92m
3:32PM0.60m
4:02AM0.91m
3:40PM0.53m
4:25AM0.88m
3:39PM0.48m
4:48AM0.82m
3:20PM0.45m
5:13AM0.75m
2:19PM0.45m
5:43AM0.66m
Low Tide
10:02AM0.10m
9:19PM0.02m
10:31AM0.16m
9:29PM0.03m
10:57AM0.25m
9:36PM0.04m
11:22AM0.34m
9:38PM0.06m
11:49AM0.43m
9:34PM0.08m
9:19PM0.10m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:22
6:22
6:20
6:18
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:12
6:13
6:13
6:14
6:15
6:15
6:15
 mm
Temp °C
15
14
13
10
11
12
9
11
11
14
16
19
21
21
24
26
15
14
15
Feels °C
11
8
6
4
7
8
4
9
10
10
10
15
16
14
19
20
7
8
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Chinamans:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest