Rhino Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.28° S 136.95° E

Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 2 pm 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rhino Head sea temperature is
14.8° C
0.1° 

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


Rhino Head surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 20s period, SW swell with 9,007 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 19s 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. 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 20s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Wed 5th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 19s
Best Surf 9PM (Thu 6th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 15s
Most Powerful 6PM (Tue 11th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 20s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our local stretch.

We’re kicking off with a bit of a slow start, but the forecast is building toward something special. The water temperature is sitting at 59°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real call to get wet comes on Tuesday morning, August 4th, at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef, beginner-friendly, and fairly consistent. We’ve got a 4ft SW groundswell with a solid 12-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (543), and the waves are clean. Not a standout, but a nice, easy intro to the week.

Tuesday afternoon gets even cleaner – 3ft SW swell, 14-second period, glassy cross-off breeze, and wave energy sitting at 401. Still a nice, mellow session.

Wednesday looks smaller. Morning has 2ft SSW swell, but the period is a very long 19 seconds – that’s groundswell territory, and it’ll be breaking pretty straight at the reef. The wind is cross-off, but the conditions are just ordinary. Afternoon is similar with 2ft SSW. Not a write-off, but nothing to get excited about.

Thursday morning sees a 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, putting some ripples on the surface. The afternoon is cleaner – 4ft SW, 16 seconds, cross-off breeze, and wave energy up to 616. That’s a better window.

Now, Friday morning, August 7th, is where things start to ramp up. We’ve got 6ft SW swell, 15-second period, and a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps to 1359 – that’s moderate to strong. The waves are there, but the conditions are a bit marginal. Still, it’s a step up in size.

Saturday and Sunday, August 8th and 9th, are a write-off – strong winds (22 to 34 mph) and poor conditions. The swell is there, but the wind is a mess. Saturday has 5ft SW, Sunday jumps to 8ft SW, but the wind is howling. Not worth paddling out.

Then, Monday, August 10th, is the real standout. Morning sees 10ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, and a clean offshore wind – moderate breeze, but offshore. The wave energy is pumping at 4261. This is excellent surf, but it’s big – only for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still offshore, but the wind picks up a bit.

Tuesday, August 11th, gets even bigger – 12ft SW swell, but the wind is near gale force (34 mph). The energy is massive (4956 to 5720), but paddling in is a battle. Only for the die-hards.

Wednesday, August 12th, holds 10ft SW swell, with cross-off winds and energy up to 7334. Still big, but the wind is a bit more manageable. Still experts only.

Thursday, August 13th, is another gem. 8ft SSW swell, 16-17 second period, and a gentle offshore wind. The wave energy is 3798 to 3336, and conditions are excellent. This is a prime window for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and offshore.

Friday, August 14th, is also excellent. 7ft SW swell in the morning, 6ft in the afternoon, both with light offshore or cross-off winds. Energy is around 2256 to 2154. Clean, consistent, and very good.

Saturday, August 15th, is still good – 6ft SSW in the morning, 5ft SW in the afternoon, with gentle cross-off breezes. Energy around 1517 to 1046. Very good conditions.

From Sunday, August 16th, onward, the swell drops back to 3ft to 4ft, periods are moderate, and the wind is cross-off. The energy drops below 1000. It’s surfable, but marginal. The run of excellent surf is over, but there’s still a few fun waves to be had.

So, the best of the lot? Monday, August 10th, for the big, clean, offshore swell – but it’s a big boy session. Thursday, August 13th, is almost as good, with a bit less size and cleaner offshore wind. Friday, August 14th, is also a great option. If you’re after something smaller, Tuesday and Thursday of the first week are your best bets.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Fri afternoon, near gales from the WSW by Sun afternoon).

Tue
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
5
3
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SW
14
0.6
SSW
20
0.6
SSW
19
0.7
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
16
1.1
SW
16
1.7
SW
15
1.7
SW
16
1.6
SW
17
1.4
SW
16
1.4
SW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.2
SW
14
1.9
SW
16
3
SW
9
3.5
SW
14
4
WSW
15
2.5
SW
16
2.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
401
280
246
283
475
441
610
1341
1412
1450
1110
1005
784
614
1776
1255
4474
7557
3483
3221
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
15
NE
15
NNW
15
NNW
20
WNW
15
SSW
10
WSW
10
NE
20
NNE
15
N
25
NNW
35
N
35
N
30
NNW
50
W
55
WSW
45
W
30
W
35
WNW
45
W
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
4:21PM0.75m
5:18AM0.80m
4:29PM0.65m
5:59AM0.83m
4:19PM0.55m
6:55AM0.84m
8:33AM0.83m
11:06AM0.88m
12:25PM0.97m
2:55AM0.27m
Low Tide
10:42PM0.14m
11:17AM0.35m
10:51PM0.12m
12:14PM0.44m
11:00PM0.11m
11:08PM0.10m
11:05PM0.12m
10:18PM0.14m
9:24PM0.14m
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:13
7:13
7:11
7:11
7:09
7:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:43
5:44
5:45
5:45
 mm
1
1
3
18
2
3
1
1
5
Temp °C
11
11
13
13
14
13
14
13
16
17
15
15
16
13
12
12
13
13
15
13
Feels °C
9
8
9
9
11
10
12
12
12
13
12
7
10
6
2
0
4
6
8
4
  • 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 Rhino Head:

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 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.

Nearest locationNearest