Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,542 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rhino Head in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) 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 1.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into what's brewing for this stretch of coast. It's a slow starter, but there's some real firepower on the horizon if you're patient.
The first few days are a complete bust. Saturday the 11th serves up a messy 10ft SW swell, but it's getting torn apart by 31 mph cross-off winds, so forget it. That high combined energy reading (1636) doesn't matter when the surface is a mess. Sunday and Monday (12th and 13th) are still marginal, with 8ft to 8ft of SW swell, but the wind is still too strong at 22 mph. Not worth the sand in your car.
Things clean up by Wednesday the 15th. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the SW, and the real treat is the wind. Wednesday afternoon goes dead flat – glassy, no wind at all. That’s a gift for `Rhino Head`. The energy is low (752), but for a beginner-friendly reef that’s sheltered, that glassy surface will make for some really fun, user-friendly, clean little waves. It won't be pumping, but it will be perfect for a longboard.
We go quiet again towards the end of the week and into the weekend of the 18th and 19th. The 18th has almost nothing, and the 19th brings strong 25 mph offshore winds with 5ft to 6ft of swell. It's clean, but fighting that wind to get out is a workout.
Now for the real gems. This is about a week and a half out, so it's a tease, but the forecast for Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd of July is the real deal. Monday afternoon the 20th shows an excellent 8ft WSW swell with a light cross-off breeze. The energy is a solid 3004, and the 14-second period means proper, lined-up waves. This is for experienced surfers only, as it's over 8ft. Then Tuesday the 21st of July is the big one. The morning session shows a deep 10ft WSW swell with a light cross-off wind and an insane combined energy reading of 5859. That is a massive amount of power heading our way. The water temp is about average for the time of year at 59°, nothing unusual. Wednesday afternoon on the 23rd of July is also a stunner, with a 5ft SSW swell, a massive 19-second period, and moderate offshore winds. That's classic groundswell – super clean, powerful, and will be a dream on the reef. That long period means fewer but much better sets.
So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Wednesday the 15th of July afternoon is your sleeper pick for small, clean, glassy fun. But the heavyweight champion is Tuesday the 21st of July morning for the big, powerful WSW swell. If you've got the experience, that's the one to wait for.
Stay stoked,
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat night, light winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Sat 18 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1939 | 1697 | 1697 | 2263 | 3098 | 2978 | 3457 | 2599 | 2007 | 1288 | 893 | 752 | 614 | 476 | 352 | 981 | 933 | 711 | 401 | 215 | 142 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:14PM1.07m | 1:22AM0.26m | 1:06PM1.16m | 1:50AM0.30m | 1:51PM1.21m | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | 3:09PM1.19m | 3:30AM0.53m | 3:42PM1.12m | 4:06AM0.61m | 4:11PM1.02m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:01AM0.23m | 9:31PM0.21m | 3:57AM0.24m | 9:29PM0.18m | 5:42AM0.21m | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | 10:20PM0.16m | 8:40AM0.16m | 10:39PM0.17m | 9:28AM0.20m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — |
 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 |
Feels °C | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | — | 471 | 456 | 2263 | 3098 | 892 | 3457 | 2599 | 2007 | 1288 | 893 | 752 | 614 | 476 | 352 | 981 | 933 | 711 | 401 | 215 | 142 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | — | SW 16 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | SW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 289 | — | — | — | 427 | 105 | 64 | — | — | — | 97 | 273 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | — | NE 3 | N 3 |
| kJ | 1939 | 1697 | 1697 | 89 | 1634 | 2978 | 3301 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 906 | 963 | 1180 | 1332 | 723 | 1182 | 1233 | 1240 | 541 | 268 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 83 | 83 |
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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