Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a classic run of south-west groundswell at Chinamans (reef). This is an advanced spot, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off this Wednesday afternoon, the 15th of July. The swell is already a solid 7 ft from the SW, with a 14-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the NW. The combined energy is strong at 1624, so there’s plenty of grunt. It’s going to be clean, but at this size, it’s for experienced surfers only.

Thursday the 16th looks even better. The morning has a clean 7 ft SW swell, 15-second period, with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. The afternoon is the standout: the wind swings to a light offshore NNW, the swell holds at 7 ft, and the period bumps up to 16 seconds. The energy is cranking at 2133. This is a proper groundswell, and for a reef break like Chinamans, that long period is going to produce some lined-up, powerful waves. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it’s worth it.

Friday the 17th is still good, with a 6 ft SW swell and 16-second period in the morning under a cross-off NNE breeze, and the afternoon cleans up with a light offshore N wind and 5 ft swell. Energy drops a bit but is still solid.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday the 18th sees the swell drop to 4 ft, and the wind is more cross-off, so it’s cleaner but smaller. Sunday the 19th is similar, with a dropping 3 ft swell, but the afternoon picks up a very long 18-second period, which is interesting for a reef, but the energy is moderate at 592.

The following week, from Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd, we’ve got a run of solid offshore winds, with swell hovering around 4 ft to 6 ft from the SW, and periods in the 12-15 second range. The energy stays moderate to strong. The best of that bunch is Wednesday the 22nd morning, when the wind goes glassy from the SW, and the swell is a clean 4 ft with a 12-second period. That’s a magic window for a more manageable session.

Then we get a bit of a pulse on Thursday the 23rd, with a 6 ft to 7 ft SW swell and 15-16 second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-off from the WNW. The energy is high again (1719-1808), but the cross-off wind might make it a bit tricky. It’s still good for the experienced crew.

The real standout for the whole period, though, is Saturday the 25th of July. The morning is a bit onshore, but the afternoon is a beauty: 8 ft of SW swell, 16-second period, with a cross-off breeze from the W. The energy is a massive 2662. That’s a serious, powerful groundswell hitting the reef, and with the wind in the right place, it’s going to be world-class. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, the week of the 26th to the 29th looks more mixed. The swell sticks around at 5 ft to 8 ft, but the wind is often cross-on or fresh, making conditions less clean. The 28th of July has a glassy afternoon with 5 ft SW swell, which is a nice little window, but nothing compared to the 25th.

Finally, the 30th of July shows a long-period, 21-second SW groundswell at 3 ft, with a moderate offshore breeze. The energy is 950, so it’s a clean, long-period ocean swell, but small. For a reef, that long period will still produce some fun, glassy lines.

So, the best on offer is hands-down Thursday the 16th afternoon and Saturday the 25th afternoon. The 16th is cleaner, the 25th is bigger and more powerful. Take your pick.

Rusty.

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