Chinamans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wetties, ’cause I’m gonna walk you through what’s cooking in the water. This is Rusty.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s not all party waves and bluebird skies. The first week is a mixed bag of size and wind, with the real standout action arriving later. Chinamans is our only break on the cards, and it’s a reef setup that demands respect—this is advanced territory.

The first proper surf we see kicks off Tuesday morning, September 1st, with a 5.2ft swell from the southwest. The offshore wind is howling at 25 mph, which keeps it clean but makes paddling a real battle. The combined swell energy is already way up there at 1135. Conditions improve through the afternoon as the wind drops to a cross-off 16 mph and the wave height settles to 3.6ft, but the swell period is a very long 17 seconds, so those sets will be spaced out.

Wednesday the 2nd brings a bit more size, with morning sets around 6.2ft and afternoon pulses hitting 6.6ft—both from that southwest groundswell, with a long period around 15 to 16 seconds. The wind is cross-off, and the water is clean, but the energy is starting to build significantly (1783 in the morning, 1669 in the afternoon). This is getting interesting, but still not the pick of the bunch.

Thursday the 3rd sees the swell jump to 9.8ft. That’s getting into expert-only territory. The morning has a moderate cross-shore wind, creating some chop, but the afternoon turns cleaner with a cross-off breeze. The combined energy is massive now—over 3000. The swell period is a punchy 14 seconds, so it’s powerful but not super clean.

Friday the 4th holds 9.8ft in the morning with a stiff offshore breeze at 22 mph, so the faces will be smooth, but that’s a big, powerful wave. The energy is through the roof at 3557. Afternoon drops to 8.2ft, still with fresh offshore wind, but still solid.

Saturday the 5th is where things get wild, but it’s a washout. The morning is a total mess: an 11.5ft southwest swell with a strong cross-shore wind howling at 25 mph. The energy reading is almost 5000, but the conditions are poor. Then the afternoon flips the script—still an 11.5ft swell, but the wind shifts to a clean cross-off breeze, and the energy jumps to a staggering 9451. That’s a ton of juice. The swell period stretches to 16 seconds, and it’s clean. This is a proper expert session, but that size means it’s for the experienced crew only. This is one of the true standouts—big, clean, and powerful.

Sunday the 6th still has an 8.2ft SW swell in the morning with a cross-off wind, but the energy drops back to 2783. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 7.9ft from the WSW. It’s clean, but not as exciting as Saturday.

Monday the 7th is a hard pass. A 13.1ft swell hits the morning, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore at 28 mph—messy and raw. The energy is 5898, but it’s poor. The afternoon is 11.5ft with a fresh cross-shore chop. Not worth it.

Tuesday the 8th sees 11.5ft swell in the morning, with a moderate cross-onshore wind making it choppy. But the afternoon is the true monster: a 14.8ft SW swell with a 19-second period, and the combined energy hits an insane 23411. The wind is moderate cross-shore, and the data says it might actually be too big for this break. That’s a rare warning—only for absolute experts and huge swells.

Wednesday the 9th afternoon is the other standout. The morning is 9.8ft with a light cross-shore wind, but the afternoon delivers 9.8ft of clean, long-period SW swell with a light offshore breeze and glassy conditions. The energy is 7009, and it’s described as exceptional for expert surfers. This is the one to circle on your calendar—clean, powerful, and all yours.

After that, the surf slowly backs off through the second week. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th both have 7.5ft to 8.2ft SW swells with offshore winds and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The energy is still solid (around 2600 to 4100). Saturday the 12th drops to 5.9ft to 6.2ft, with the afternoon going glassy. Nice, easy, clean waves for the skilled crew.

Then it falls apart. Sunday the 13th brings 31 mph winds and rain, with a 6.6ft swell that’s impossible to enjoy. The following week (14th to 16th) is a slow bleed of 4.3ft to 5.2ft swells with cross-shore or onshore winds and low energy—definitely not worth the paddle.

So to boil it down: the best windows are Saturday afternoon the 5th and Wednesday afternoon the 9th. Both are big, clean, powerful southwest groundswells with favorable winds, but only for advanced to expert surf

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