Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 12 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,507 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rhino Head this week:
The surf forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 20s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rhino Head in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty again. Here’s the same picture in imperial units.
First up, we’re looking at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef break, pretty consistent for a beginner spot, but it’s not looking great for a while. The water temp is sitting at 59.9°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no shock there.
To be honest, we’ve got a long, quiet stretch of nothing happening for the first week. The swell isn’t showing up with anything clean, and the wind is mostly junk until we see a flicker of hope on Thursday afternoon the 9th of July. The swell drops to 3.0 ft from the SSW with a 15-second period, and we get a light cross-off breeze from the NW. That’s clean, but the combined energy is only 588, so it’s weak. Still, it’s the first surfable window. After that, Friday and Saturday mornings stay clean but with moderate cross-off winds, and the swell stays small, around 3.3 ft to 4.3 ft from the SW. The energy starts climbing a bit – Friday morning hits 786, but it’s still marginal.
Then the real news. The standout for this whole period? Monday the 20th of July. Get this: morning brings a 7.2 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, a moderate offshore from the WNW, and the energy is solid at 1770. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and that’s the best we’ve seen. That Monday morning is the one to circle on your calendar. After that, Tuesday the 21st has some promise with a 9.8 ft SW swell and 16-second period, but the wind cranks up to 25 mph from the N, and it’s a strong breeze. Still clean, but that high wind makes it expert territory. The energy there is massive – 4427 – but it’s going to be gnarly.
Crowds can be an issue here sometimes, so for that Monday standout, get there early.
So, for now, it’s a lot of waiting. The first week is mostly a write-off. Hang in there, July 20th is your best bet.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Thu morning, near gales from the W by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 6 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 330 | 233 | 131 | 436 | 544 | 673 | 1837 | 1229 | 768 | 443 | 372 | 917 | 783 | 574 | 412 | 336 | 299 | 792 | 3737 | 5090 | 3056 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:48PM0.86m | 5:55AM0.65m | 5:03PM0.75m | 6:51AM0.71m | 5:04PM0.64m | 8:06AM0.78m | 9:43AM0.87m | 11:10AM0.97m | 12:14PM1.07m | 1:22AM0.26m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:15AM0.36m | 11:42PM0.26m | 11:07AM0.44m | 11:54PM0.26m | 12:23PM0.52m | 00:07AM0.25m | 00:21AM0.23m | 00:38AM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 9:31PM0.21m | |||||||||||
 | |  |  |  | | | |  | |  | | |  | | | |  | | |  | |
 | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 1 | -1 | -1 | 2 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 11 | — | — | SW 21 |
| kJ | 330 | 233 | 131 | 436 | 544 | 673 | 1837 | 1229 | 768 | 443 | 372 | 917 | 783 | 574 | 412 | 336 | 191 | 792 | — | — | 117 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — | SSW 18 | — | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 8 | E 5 | S 20 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 121 | — | — | 372 | — | — | — | — | 216 | — | 3 | 5 | 13 | 74 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 3 | E 3 | ESE 3 | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 3 | NE 3 | ENE 2 | NE 3 | — | — | WNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 6 | NW 5 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 17 | 10 | 53 | 299 | 69 | 3737 | 5090 | 3056 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 83 | 720 | 723 | 906 | 963 | 1180 | 724 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rhino Head 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 Rhino Head Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rhino Head provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rhino Head can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rhino Head 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 (Rhino Head) 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 Rhino Head 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 Rhino Head, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Yorke Peninsula, consider staying in Kingscote which is 75 km (47 miles) away.
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