
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,568 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s 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 (Jul 30) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 13s 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 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) 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 1.5m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 1st Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are all about one spot: Chinamans. This is a reef break for advanced surfers only, and it's pretty consistent, so there’s plenty to talk about. The water is sitting at 60°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but nothing too wild.
Right now, Wednesday afternoon ain't the move. We've got a solid 8 ft SW swell, but that cross-on 12 mph wind is making a mess of things. The combined energy is high (3051), but it's just ugly. Skip it.
Thursday morning is still a bit wobbly with a 6 ft SW swell and light cross-on breeze, but look at Thursday afternoon. The wind goes glassy, the swell drops to a clean 5 ft from the SW at 13 seconds, and the energy settles to 832. That’s where it starts to get good. That’s a solid session.
Friday is clean all day. Morning and afternoon both have a 4 ft SW swell with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. Energy is moderate (536-704), and it’s just easy, fun little waves. Perfect for a longboard or a fish.
Now, Saturday is a standout. The morning is clean with offshore wind from the North at 16 mph, and a 5 ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and for a reef like Chinamans, that’s a dream. The energy is already strong (1615). But the afternoon? That’s the pick of the week. The swell bumps to 7 ft, still from the SW, period at 17 seconds, and the wind stays offshore. The energy jumps to 2324, and the report says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is one of those days where you clear your calendar. The crowd factor is "sometimes," so you might have a few friends out, but it’s worth it.
Sunday is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has strong offshore wind (25 mph), but that’s hard to paddle into. The 6 ft SW swell is there, but the wind is a beast. The afternoon is cleaner but the wind swings cross-off from the West. It’s surfable, but not the best of the run.
Monday and Tuesday of the next week see a dip. Monday is cross-on and choppy. Tuesday morning cleans up nicely with a 5 ft SW swell and light cross-off wind, but Tuesday afternoon is the real gem: 4 ft SW swell, light offshore wind, and a 15-second period. The energy is moderate (1027), but it’ll be lined up and clean.
The first week of August is where it gets serious. Wednesday the 5th through Thursday the 6th are pure gold. Consistent 6 ft to 6 ft SW swell, long periods (16-18 seconds), and gentle offshore winds. The energy is through the roof (1634 to 2351). This is classic Chinamans. The water is still mild, winds are clean, and the wave quality is excellent. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is your window.
Friday the 7th gets a bit windy again with a strong cross-off breeze, but Saturday the 8th morning is another clean window with a 6 ft SW swell. The afternoon turns to mush with cross-on wind.
Sunday the 9th is a letdown, but then we get into the second week and a massive pulse arrives. Monday the 10th has a 12 ft WSW swell, but it’s cross-on and choppy. The energy is massive (5553), but the wind is a killer. Still, for a big-wave charger, the afternoon might be worth a look with light wind.
Tuesday the 11th is the big one. The swell is 12 ft from the SW in the morning, but the afternoon is predicted to be 16 ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The combined energy is 18809, which is insane. The report warns that the swell may be too big for this break. This is only for the most experienced, and even then, it might be a close-out. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but that’s a monster.
Wednesday the 12th is still huge but with a strong breeze, and Thursday the 13th we see the drop. Thursday morning is a 6 ft SW swell with a light offshore wind, and Thursday afternoon is glassy with a 7 ft SW swell at a 17-second period. That’s a beautiful way to end the outlook.
If you’re a beginner, look away. Most of this swell is over 5 ft, and those 16 ft days are for experts only. But for the experienced crew, there are some true standouts: Saturday afternoon July 1st, and the entire stretch from August 5th to 6th.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
3051 | 1639 | 991 | 821 | 552 | 424 | 398 | 614 | 1615 | 2324 | 1922 | 1384 | 1860 | 2080 | 1956 | 1693 | 1006 | 634 | 666 | 653 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:54AM0.45m | 2:44PM1.05m | 3:10AM0.51m | 3:07PM1.04m | 3:30AM0.57m | 3:28PM1.00m | 3:52AM0.63m | 3:48PM0.94m | 4:17AM0.69m | 4:06PM0.85m | 4:45AM0.76m | 4:21PM0.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.17m | 7:35AM0.24m | 9:54PM0.16m | 8:10AM0.21m | 10:04PM0.16m | 8:44AM0.20m | 10:14PM0.15m | 9:18AM0.21m | 10:24PM0.15m | 9:54AM0.23m | 10:33PM0.15m | 10:33AM0.28m | 10:42PM0.14m | |||||||
— | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | |
5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | NNW 5 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
3051 | 1639 | 991 | 821 | 552 | 424 | 398 | 304 | 1615 | 2324 | 1922 | 1384 | 26 | 739 | 1956 | 1693 | 1006 | 634 | 666 | 606 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | WNW 7 | ENE 4 | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SW 21 | SW 20 |
— | — | — | 11 | 19 | 112 | 306 | 614 | — | — | 36 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 246 | 102 | 361 | 653 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | NNW 6 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | — | — | NE 2 | N 3 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 17 | 46 | 129 | 1860 | 2080 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 46 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 81 | 0 | 81 | 610 | 645 | 540 | 168 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
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.










