Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with 1,370 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SW 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rhino Head in the next 16 days are 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore 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 (Sep 19) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Rhino Head over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a wait for the good stuff, but it’s shaping up to be worth it. The first real standout is going to be Sunday afternoon the 13th. We’re looking at a solid 4.3 ft of swell pouring in from the WSW with a long 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell with some real punch, and the combined energy is strong at 1055. To top it off, we’ve got a clean 15.5 mph offshore breeze out of the west. This is going to be glassy, lined-up, and very good for a beginner-friendly reef. The water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is about average for this time of year.
Now, don’t get too excited about Saturday the 12th. That’s a no-go – marginal at best with a cross-shore mess. Sunday morning the 13th is a decent warm-up with a 3.3 ft swell and offshore wind, but the afternoon is where it’s at.
Monday the 14th drops off a bit – smaller swell and cross-off winds, just ordinary. Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th get bigger, pushing 5.6 ft to 5.9 ft, but with onshore and cross-onshore winds, it’ll be choppy and poor. That’s a couple of days to skip. Thursday the 17th afternoon looks interesting: only 3.0 ft and glassy conditions, but it’s just surfable, not a highlight.
Another standout pops up on Wednesday the 23rd. That afternoon brings 5.2 ft of clean, long-period SSW swell with zero wind – dead glassy. Combined energy is strong at 1211. That is going to be very, very good again, especially for a reef that likes that direction.
Then Thursday the 24th afternoon is also worth circling: 5.2 ft, 17-second period, light offshore breeze, and a very good forecast. That’s two back-to-back afternoons of quality.
After that, it gets messy. Friday the 25th has some size (6.2 ft) and very long period (19 seconds), but the wind is onshore, so it'll be lumpy. The rest of the week into the 27th is small, onshore, or just weak. Nothing to write home about.
So, the pick of the fortnight is Sunday afternoon the 13th and Wednesday afternoon the 23rd. If you can only paddle out once, make it one of those. The 24th afternoon is your backup.
Stay stoked, and keep an eye on the sky.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 21°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 693 | 377 | 515 | 832 | 322 | 231 | 341 | 651 | 1358 | 1203 | 1142 | 1206 | 1222 | 851 | 463 | 332 | 282 | 347 | 310 | 217 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:51AM0.82m | 2:58PM0.75m | 3:15AM0.88m | 3:16PM0.68m | 3:39AM0.92m | 3:32PM0.60m | 4:02AM0.91m | 3:40PM0.53m | 4:25AM0.88m | 3:39PM0.48m | 4:48AM0.82m | 3:20PM0.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:44PM0.04m | 9:00AM0.04m | 8:56PM0.02m | 9:32AM0.06m | 9:08PM0.02m | 10:02AM0.10m | 9:19PM0.02m | 10:31AM0.16m | 9:29PM0.03m | 10:57AM0.25m | 9:36PM0.04m | 11:22AM0.34m | 9:38PM0.06m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 20 |
Feels °C | 15 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 693 | 377 | 515 | 223 | 322 | 231 | 341 | 651 | 1358 | 1203 | 1142 | 1206 | 1222 | 851 | 463 | 332 | 282 | 347 | 310 | 217 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 19 | NE 4 | NE 4 | — | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | NE 4 | W 5 |
| kJ | — | 170 | 3 | 1 | — | 37 | 80 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | N 3 | N 4 | WSW 16 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | — | SSW 4 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | E 3 | — | NNW 3 | NW 4 | NW 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 7 | 5 | 832 | 26 | 36 | 27 | — | 17 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 44 | 132 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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