
Surf Forecasts:
Chinamans surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SW swell with 6,632 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s 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 (Sep 13) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chinamans in the next 16 days are 3.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into this one.
The outlook starts off with a bit of a wait. The first few days are a write-off with strong winds and poor surf, so you’re looking at a gap of almost three days before the conditions start to turn.
Chinamans is the only break on the radar. It’s a reef setup for advanced surfers, and it’s fairly consistent, but the early wind is killing it. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about normal for this time of year with a 0.8° anomaly – nothing to worry about there.
The first real chance to wet a line comes on Friday the 11th in the morning. The swell is down to 6 ft from the SW, but the wind is cross-shore and light, so it’s just marginal. The combined energy is weak (1368), so it’s small and choppy, but the afternoon improves a little with a 6 ft swell and even lighter wind.
Saturday the 12th is the first standout. The morning sees a 6 ft SW swell with a clean cross-offshore breeze and a moderate energy (1297). The afternoon holds 5 ft and stays clean. This is the best window in the early part – clean, manageable, and the wind is your friend.
Sunday the 13th is a treat. The morning drops to 4 ft, but the wind is solid offshore out of the north. The afternoon is glassy with a light cross-offshore and a 4 ft swell. The energy is low (788), but the surf is very clean. This is a proper session for the patient surfer.
Then the surf fades out for a few days. Monday and Tuesday are poor with cross-onshore winds and small, weak swell. By Wednesday the 16th, the swell picks up to 8 ft, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and marginal.
Thursday the 17th afternoon is another highlight. The swell drops to 5 ft, but the wind swings offshore from the NNW and it’s glassy clean. Combined energy is a modest 780, but the quality makes up for it.
The second week brings a big upswing. Friday the 18th morning has a 6 ft SW swell with a fresh offshore wind – clean and punchy. But the real standout is Saturday the 19th morning. A 10 ft SW swell with a fresh offshore NNW wind, clean as a whistle. The combined energy is 4005 – moderate to strong. This is big, powerful groundswell with a period of 15 seconds. It’s going to be a ripper for expert surfers, but that size and period will make it a bit too much for beginners. The long period means it’ll hold up well at the reef, so expect long, clean lines.
Sunday the 20th keeps the size going with a 10 ft to 12 ft SW swell. The wind stays cross-offshore and clean, but it’s only for experienced crew.
Monday the 21st is a write-off again with strong cross-onshore winds blowing out an 12 ft swell. After that, Tuesday the 22nd sees the same size swell but with lighter wind, and the combined energy jumps to 11691 (very strong). The period is 18 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. It’s going to be a beast, but the wind is cross-shore to cross-onshore, so it’ll be lumpy. A real heavy-duty session for the brave.
Wednesday the 23rd closes out the window with a 10 ft SW swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze. Solid, but not the standout.
Overall, the best on offer is Saturday the 19th morning for the expert crew, with that big, clean 10 ft SW groundswell. The second best is Sunday the 13th afternoon for the smaller, glassy conditions.
Keep your eyes on the long-range – the second week looks promising, but it’s a bit of a gamble with the wind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSE on Tue night, light winds from the ENE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat night, min 15°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2326 | 2404 | 6632 | 5921 | 4553 | 3293 | 2484 | 1460 | 1361 | 1852 | 1852 | 1297 | 1041 | 663 | 909 | 783 | 535 | 281 | 281 | 1200 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 2:08AM0.36m | 1:12PM0.89m | 1:56AM0.47m | 1:43PM0.90m | 2:08AM0.60m | 2:11PM0.87m | 2:29AM0.72m | 2:36PM0.82m | 2:51AM0.82m | 2:58PM0.75m | 3:15AM0.88m | 3:16PM0.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:31PM0.11m | 6:00AM0.26m | 8:23PM0.10m | 7:02AM0.17m | 8:25PM0.08m | 7:47AM0.09m | 8:34PM0.06m | 8:25AM0.05m | 8:44PM0.04m | 9:00AM0.04m | 8:56PM0.02m | 9:32AM0.06m | 9:08PM0.02m | |||||||
— | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
1214 | 2404 | 6632 | 5921 | 4553 | 3293 | 2484 | 1460 | 1361 | 1852 | 1852 | 1297 | 1041 | 663 | 909 | 783 | 535 | 281 | 281 | 1200 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 26 | SW 25 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | N 4 | WNW 5 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | 398 | — | 9 | 15 | 58 | 197 | 206 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | S 4 | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 4 | ENE 3 | — | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | NW 4 | W 4 | W 4 | WSW 4 | SE 3 |
2326 | 33 | 66 | 42 | 38 | 28 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 4 | — | 13 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 546 | 32 | 1202 | 1836 | 29 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 79 | 373 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 738 | 7 |
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.










