Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 3,455 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 15s 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a solid run of swell lining up at Chinamans, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. This is a reef break, and with the size on offer, it’s strictly for the crew who know what they’re doing. The overall pattern is a big pulse of SW groundswell hitting mid-week, then easing, before another significant push around the 23rd and 24th. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The standout window kicks off on Wednesday the 15th. The morning is looking crisp, with a clean 7ft SW groundswell rolling in at a long 15 seconds. The wind is light and offshore from the north, so the lineup will be glassy and well-shaped. The combined energy is solid at 1941 (moderate to strong), and the swell direction is exactly what this reef wants to see. The afternoon holds up too, with a touch of cross-off wind and 7ft of SW groundswell. This is your best bet for the whole outlook – clean, powerful, and properly good.
Thursday the 16th is also very strong, with 7ft SW groundswell and a 16-second period under a light cross-off breeze. The energy is up there (1801-2133), and the waves will have plenty of punch. Friday the 17th keeps the quality with offshore winds again, though the swell drops a touch to 6-6ft. Still excellent, but the peak is Wednesday and Thursday.
After that, the weekend sees the swell fade to 4-4ft, still clean enough but nothing to get excited about. The following week has a few smaller pulses, but nothing special until we get to the 23rd and 24th of July. That’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it – a fresh 8ft SW groundswell (15-second period) is forecast, but the wind is stronger and more cross-off, so it won’t be as clean as the mid-week session. The energy is big (2597-2633), and this is definitely one for experts only. It’s a promising look, but less certain this far out.
After the 24th, the wind swings onshore and the quality drops off a cliff. The surf gets messy and choppy, and the last few days of the outlook are a write-off with poor conditions.
Crowds are possible at Chinamans, especially on the peak days, so get in early if you can.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4084 | 2662 | 1941 | 1624 | 1421 | 1801 | 2133 | 1581 | 1728 | 1392 | 825 | 586 | 386 | 277 | 184 | 799 | 909 | 788 | 833 | 976 | 821 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | 3:09PM1.19m | 3:30AM0.53m | 3:42PM1.12m | 4:06AM0.61m | 4:11PM1.02m | 4:45AM0.67m | 4:36PM0.90m | 5:25AM0.72m | 4:53PM0.77m | 6:08AM0.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | 10:20PM0.16m | 8:40AM0.16m | 10:39PM0.17m | 9:28AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.18m | 10:13AM0.27m | 11:14PM0.19m | 10:59AM0.36m | 11:28PM0.20m | 11:50AM0.45m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 |
 | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | 5:30 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 4084 | 2662 | 1941 | 1624 | 1421 | 1801 | 2133 | 1581 | 1728 | 1392 | 825 | 586 | 386 | 277 | 175 | 799 | 909 | 788 | 833 | 976 | 821 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | SW 22 | SW 19 | SW 12 | S 10 | S 9 | N 4 | — | SW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 18 | 184 | 73 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | 40 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | WSW 15 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 21 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 | N 3 | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | — | N 4 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 8 | — | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 506 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Chinamans surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest