Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got one spot on the radar for this stretch, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

The first window of surf doesn’t show up until Friday, July 24th, with a couple of days of nothing great before that. From the 24th right through to the 6th of August, it’s a real rollercoaster. We’re looking at a classic reef break setup that’s exposed to the southwest swell, but the wind is going to be our biggest enemy for most of this run.

The main event, the standout, is shaping up to be Sunday, August 2nd, in the morning. Now, that’s a long way off, so keep that in mind, but the forecast is looking tasty. We’ve got a solid 6ft SW groundswell rolling in with a very long 17-second period, pumping in a strong 2068 units of combined energy (2068). The kicker? The wind is forecast to be glassy, dead calm, with a slight air. That’s the kind of magic that makes a reef break fire. It’s going to be clean, powerful, and those long-period lines will be wrapping perfectly around the point. With that size, it’s one for the experienced crew only – over 5ft and solid.

Leading up to that, there are some other windows with promise, but they come with caveats. Monday, July 27th, is looking decent. We’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the N to NNW that will keep things clean through the morning and afternoon. Swell is a bit smaller, around 5ft, but with a 13-second period from the SW and moderate energy (669). It’s a good, solid, clean day, but not a standout compared to that glassy Sunday.

Tuesday, July 28th is a bigger day, but it’s trickier. The morning sees a 7ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and a moderate offshore from the NNW keeping it clean. The combined energy is a beefy 1939. That’s a serious amount of water moving. The afternoon eases the wind to a cross-off, but the swell builds to 8ft. That’s expert territory, and the long period means it’ll be a bit straight at a beach break, but on a reef like this, the channels should be working. It’s a solid day, but the crowd at Chinamans is listed as “sometimes,” so expect company.

The rest of the period is a write-off for quality surfing. The end of July and start of August are plagued by strong onshore and cross-onshore winds, with hefty swell that’s just going to be a messy, lumpy, choppy mess. We’re talking strong 15-18 mph winds from the south and southeast that will ruin the surface. For a few days there, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, but that’s not what we’re after.

The water temperature is sitting at 60°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.

So, to wrap it up: the first recommendation is a slow start, but keep your eye on Sunday, August 2nd, for what could be a truly special morning at Chinamans, if the forecast holds. The days around the 27th and 28th of July are your next best bets for cleaner, smaller waves.

Rusty.

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