Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.

We’ve got a 16-day window, and the first proper surf shows up on the 1st of September. It’s not a classic start, though. The early part of the week is a bit of a fight with the wind.

Tuesday afternoon (1st September) kicks things off at Chinamans. It’s a reef break, advanced only, and it’s fairly consistent. There’s a 3.6ft swell from the southwest, with a long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, but it’s a bit of a struggle with a 15.5 mph cross-offshore wind from the west. The water’s sitting at 59.7°, which is about a degree warmer than usual for this time of year. The combined energy is sitting at 1141 (moderate). It’s surfable, but it’s not the day to write home about.

Wednesday (2nd September) sees the swell bump up to 6.9ft in the morning (SW, 16 seconds) and 7.5ft in the afternoon (SW, 15 seconds). The wind stays cross-off from the west, but it’s a bit stronger in the afternoon at 18.6 mph. The energy is climbing (2211 and 2169), but conditions are still described as marginal. This is more size for the experienced crew, but the wind is making it a bit of a wrestle.

Thursday (3rd September) is a big day for size, but a bad day for quality. We’re looking at 9.8ft swell from the southwest (14-second period) both morning and afternoon. The wind swings cross-shore from the SW and WSW, and the energy is huge (4828 and 3253). The problem is the description says “moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop.” For a reef break, that’s going to be lumpy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

Friday (4th September) is the real standout. This is the best on offer in the first week. The morning brings a clean 9.8ft swell from the southwest (15-second period) with a 12.4 mph offshore wind from the NNW. That’s a dream combination for Chinamans. The combined energy is a solid 3681, and the notes say “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The afternoon drops a little to 8.2ft with a 15.5 mph offshore wind, still clean. This is the day to call in sick for. The water is still a touch warmer than average, but you won’t care when you’re getting those long, lined-up waves.

Saturday (5th September) is a step down. The swell is still 9.8ft, but the wind is a cross-shore WSW at 15.5-18.6 mph, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. Not the move.

Sunday (6th September) has a nice moment in the afternoon. The morning is okay with a 6.9ft swell and a cross-offshore breeze, but the afternoon is glassy. The wind drops to 3.1 mph from the ENE, and the conditions are described as “glassy.” The swell is 5.6ft, SW, with a 14-second period. The energy is 1143. It’s a smaller, cleaner window for the experienced surfer who wants a relaxing session.

From Monday (7th September) through Thursday (10th September), it’s a write-off. Winds are strong and onshore or cross-onshore, with gusts up to 37.3 mph. The swell is big (9.8ft to 13.1ft), but it’s blown out and messy. The energy is huge (up to 17484), but it’s not for paddling. The 9th of September even has a note saying the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.

Friday (11th September) is marginal, with a 6.9ft swell and cross-shore wind. Not great.

Saturday (12th September) is the second standout. The best of the second week. The morning shows a 9.8ft swell from the southwest (17-second period) with a light 6.2 mph cross-offshore breeze from the NE. The afternoon is even better, with a 3.1 mph cross-offshore wind and 8.2ft swell. Both sessions are described as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” and “clean.” The energy is high (4541 and 3640). This is a distant, promising call, but it looks like a cracker.

Sunday (13th September) fades back to smaller, wind-affected surf.

Monday (14th September) is tiny and lumpy.

Tuesday (15th September) sees a weird swell: 2.0ft in the morning, but a 22-second period – that’s an incredibly long, low-energy groundswell. It’s clean, but small. The afternoon is 3.6ft with the same long period.

Wednesday (16th September) closes out the window with a solid 8.2ft swell from the

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