Chinamans Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.29° S 136.87° E

Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 am 23 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Chinamans sea temperature is
15.1°C
0.5° 

Chinamans surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Chinamans surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 3,851 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 (Aug 23) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 16s period. 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 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sun 23rd Aug)6ft (1.9m) 16s
Best Surf 6PM (Thu 27th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 19s
Most Powerful 9PM (Thu 27th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chinamans over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, grab your board, it’s time to talk surf. This is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, specifically Chinamans. It’s a reef setup, so it’s got that proper feel to it, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

The overall pattern here is a mixed bag, a real feast-or-famine kind of run. We've got a couple of solid pulses of southwest groundswell, but the winds are going to be the deciding factor. The start of this window is a bit of a tease, and we’re going to have to wait through some average days before the good stuff lines up.

We're looking at Sunday the 23rd and the swell is already showing a bit of life, around 7ft from the southwest with a 17-second period. The energy in the water is strong, a reading of 2758, and the NNE breeze is keeping it cross-off and clean. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year. This is a day for the experienced crew, no doubt.

Monday the 24th is a step back. The swell drops to around 4ft and the period shortens to 14 seconds. The wind is up a bit more, out of the NE at 16 mph. It’s still cross-off, but the energy is weak, only 619, and the forecast is marginal. You’d be fighting for scraps.

Then Tuesday the 25th is a flat-out no-go. The swell jumps back up to 8ft, but the wind swings around to the SSW at 19 mph, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. The energy is huge at 4290, but it’s all over the place. This is a day to stay on land; the ocean is just going to be angry.

Now, this is where things start to turn around. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are looking proper. We see that wind shift to the NNW, becoming offshore. On Thursday, the swell is a clean 5ft with a long, 19-second period, and the energy is pumping at 2597. This is the kind of day that makes it all worth it. Glassy, offshore, and lined up. This is your first real standout.

Friday the 28th keeps that quality rolling. Swell is still a healthy 7ft from the southwest, with a 16-second period. The wind is light, either out of the north or swinging to a clean WNW. It’s going to be a beautiful day out there. The energy is still strong at 2475, and it's just clean, clean, clean. This is your second standout, right here.

We get a bit of a lull over the weekend of the 29th and 30th. The wave heights drop a touch and we get some onshore and cross-onshore winds from the south and east. Not great, not terrible, just average. The energy is still there, but the quality is lacking.

Then Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September bring back those offshore winds from the north and NNW. The swell is consistent, around 5ft to 7ft, with a good 15-16 second period. This is another solid stretch of clean, powerful surf, a return to form.

The window starts to close after that. Wednesday the 2nd still has a good swell, but the wind picks up. By Thursday the 3rd, the energy is fading fast. The weekend of the 5th and 6th is interesting, though. That Sunday the 6th of September is a real wildcard. The forecast shows an 8ft southwest groundswell, with glassy conditions. That’s a big, strong wave with the longest period of the entire run at 16 seconds. Energy is massive, at 3326. It’s going to be a serious, expert-only day. For everyone else, just watch from the sand.

The final day on the books, Monday the 7th, is a washout with a strong southwest storm blowing 28 mph, making a mess of the 8ft swell. Forget about that one.

So, keep your eyes on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th of August. Those are your best bets for a proper session. The long-range stuff, like that September 6th swell, is promising, but we'll see how it comes together as it gets closer.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon night, calm by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
2
2
2
0
0
0
3
3
3
2
4
4
5
4
4
3
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.2
SW
17
1.9
SW
16
1.5
SW
15
1.2
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
2.3
SW
16
2.2
SW
14
1.7
SW
14
1.5
SW
13
1.3
SW
13
0.8
SW
12
1.2
SW
14
1.6
SW
19
2.5
SW
18
2.2
SW
16
2.1
SW
16
1.7
SW
15
1.5
SW
14
1.3
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2758
1787
936
581
422
380
2484
1972
1139
755
591
197
565
1786
3681
2475
2061
1204
862
545
398
Wind (km/h)
15
NNE
10
NNE
15
NE
25
NE
25
NNE
20
SSW
30
SSW
25
SW
10
SSW
10
NNW
15
NNW
15
NNE
20
N
15
N
10
NE
10
N
5
WNW
10
SE
10
SSE
15
SW
10
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
High Tide
12:20PM0.72m
12:56PM0.79m
3:38AM0.37m
1:22PM0.86m
2:36AM0.40m
1:44PM0.90m
2:26AM0.46m
2:05PM0.93m
2:32AM0.53m
2:25PM0.93m
2:45AM0.61m
2:45PM0.90m
3:02AM0.70m
Low Tide
9:39PM0.15m
9:15PM0.15m
5:30AM0.36m
9:03PM0.14m
6:37AM0.29m
8:59PM0.13m
7:15AM0.22m
9:00PM0.11m
7:48AM0.16m
9:04PM0.10m
8:19AM0.12m
9:11PM0.08m
clear
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:59
5:59
6:00
 mm
4
11
7
1
Temp °C
14
15
16
12
12
13
13
13
12
12
12
13
15
17
17
17
18
17
14
15
13
Feels °C
11
13
13
8
8
10
7
7
9
10
9
9
11
15
14
15
16
15
13
12
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Chinamans:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest