
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 20s period, SW swell with 6,710 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. 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 3.0m 20s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 20s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Chinamans.
Alright, straight up, the next week is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some size on the way, but the wind is going to be a pain in the arse for most of it. The water temp is sitting at about 60°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Saturday the 25th is a write-off. We’ve got a 6ft SW swell pushing in, but a strong cross-shore wind (12-16 mph) is going to chop it up. Not worth paddling out.
Sunday the 26th is where it starts to look a bit better. Swell drops to 4ft from the SW, but we get a nice light cross-offshore wind (6-9 mph) from the W and NW. Clean conditions, easy paddling – not a standout, but a good, fun morning session.
Monday the 27th is weird. Early morning has a tiny 2ft SW swell with a howling 28 mph offshore wind (strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into). Then in the arvo, the wind goes cross-off but the swell jumps to 10ft from the WSW. That’s a lot of raw power (1829 combined energy) but the strong breeze will make it messy. Not for me.
Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th are all pretty average. Swell hangs around 5ft to 8ft from the SW (periods 13-15 seconds), but it’s mostly cross or cross-onshore wind, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. Combined energy is moderate to strong (702-3209), but the quality is just not there.
Friday the 31st is a genuine bright spot. We get a clean 4ft to 5ft SW swell with light offshore and cross-offshore winds (6 mph) from the N and NNW. The morning is clean, the afternoon gets a bit bigger with a long 14-second period (1640 combined energy). This is a great session for experienced surfers - clean lines, easy paddling.
Now, the real standout is Saturday the 1st of August. Look, this is a call I’m making with some confidence. We’ve got a massive 10ft SW swell rolling in with a very long 20-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is offshore from the NNW (12-16 mph), keeping it clean. The combined energy is a whopping 6710 in the morning, building to 6264 in the arvo. This is exceptional for expert surfers, but at 10ft, it’s definitely not for beginners. At a reef break like this, it’ll be lined up and powerful. Might get a bit crowded (“sometimes” crowds), but for the quality on offer, it’s worth it.
After that, Sunday the 2nd of August is still decent – 7ft to 8ft SW swell with a 16-second period and fresh offshore winds (16-22 mph). Good, clean, powerful surf for experienced crew.
The rest of the second week fades. Monday the 3rd goes to crap with cross-onshore winds. Tuesday the 4th has tiny (2ft-3ft) clean waves, more like a longboard day. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are blown out by very strong winds (25-31 mph), even if it’s offshore. The 7th of August shows another pulse of big swell (8ft-10ft, 19-second period) with fresh offshore wind, but the weekend after that (8th and 9th) gets hammered by cross-onshore winds again, making for lumpy, poor conditions.
So, in summary: if you can wait, Friday the 31st of July is your best clean, manageable day. But for the big boys, block out Saturday the 1st of August – that’s the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Sun morning, strong winds from the NW by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
961 | 851 | 624 | 461 | 427 | 343 | 151 | 1829 | 972 | 2055 | 1956 | 2326 | 2648 | 1836 | 1197 | 821 | 680 | 503 | 612 | 902 | 2267 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:59AM0.84m | 12:49PM0.90m | 1:24PM0.96m | 2:45AM0.37m | 1:54PM1.01m | 2:43AM0.41m | 2:20PM1.04m | 2:54AM0.45m | 2:44PM1.05m | 3:10AM0.51m | 3:07PM1.04m | 3:30AM0.57m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 10:07PM0.23m | 9:39PM0.22m | 9:34PM0.20m | 6:03AM0.32m | 9:37PM0.19m | 6:55AM0.27m | 9:44PM0.17m | 7:35AM0.24m | 9:54PM0.16m | 8:10AM0.21m | 10:04PM0.16m | ||||||||||
7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 18 |
961 | 369 | 624 | 461 | 427 | 343 | 132 | — | 450 | 1154 | 1956 | 2326 | 2648 | 1836 | 1197 | 821 | 680 | 503 | 612 | 902 | 2267 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | NNW 4 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 21 | SW 20 | — | S 26 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SSW 18 |
12 | 12 | 26 | 10 | 34 | 112 | 151 | — | 2 | — | — | 574 | 18 | 101 | — | 13 | 22 | 120 | 355 | 738 | 497 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 22 | — | — | — |
— | — | 10 | — | — | — | 91 | — | 169 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 74 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | WNW 6 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 851 | — | — | — | 7 | 280 | 1829 | 972 | 2055 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 717 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 167 | 645 | 540 | 729 | 1217 | 32 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










