Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s in store for Rhino Head. This is a sheltered reef break, best on a SW swell, and the water’s sitting at a pretty average 58.5°F for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. The pattern is a bit of a slow burner – not much happening right now.

Sunday the 2nd kicks off with a bit of a dud. We’ve got a 3.9ft SSW swell, but a fresh 22 mph NNW cross-off wind and a note of poor surf conditions means this one’s a write-off. The wave energy’s in the moderate bracket (678), but it’s not worth the hassle. The afternoon cleans up with offshore wind, but the tide or something else has it labelled as marginal.

Monday the 3rd sees the swell bump up to 5.9ft from the SW, with a decent 14-second period. The energy’s getting proper – 1382 in the morning and a whopping 2410 by the afternoon. But the cross-off wind is a moderate 12-16 mph, which will put a bit of a wobble on the face. It’s still borderline, and the scores reflect that. It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Tuesday the 4th is the first real highlight. The morning is a write-off with a light cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon... oh boy. We’re looking at 3.3ft of SW groundswell (14-second period), and the wind drops to zero – glassy. That’s the sound of heaven for a reef break. The energy is low-moderate (401), so it won’t be a beast, but for a clean, lined-up reef wave, this is the best session of the short term. Get on it.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th drop right off. The swell plummets to 2.3ft, with a very long 18-19 second period. That long period groundswell will be super straight at a beach break, but at a sheltered reef like Rhino Head it might find a corner. Still, the energy is weak (463 and 484), so it’s small and slow. Thursday afternoon cleans up with a light offshore, but it’s a 2.9ft wave.

Friday the 7th sees a jump back up to 5.6ft SW swell (17 seconds), but a moderate cross-shore wind is going to chop it up. The energy is strong (1619 in the morning), but the wind kills the quality. This is one for the experts only in the messy conditions.

Saturday the 8th has strong wind – 28 mph in the morning, 19 mph in the arvo. The swell is 4.6-5.2ft. Poor conditions in the morning, marginal in the afternoon. Not recommended.

Sunday the 9th is the first big swell push: 9.8ft SW with a strong breeze. That’s solid size for a sheltered reef, and the energy is in the strong range (3409-4471). This is serious wave height – over 8ft, so strictly for experts. The cross-off wind will keep it clean on the face, but the power and the paddle-out will be a proper expedition.

Now, the 10th of August through to the 17th of August is where it gets interesting. This is a long run of solid swell, but the wind is the enemy.

The standout of the entire window is Monday the 10th. We’ve got 8.2ft SW swell (16-second period) and a gentle 9 mph cross-off breeze. The wave energy is a massive 5679 – that’s very strong. This is the best combination of size, wind, and period. It’s big, clean, and powerful. Only experienced surfers need apply.

After that, it’s a mixed bag. Tuesday the 11th has 6.9-8.2ft swell but light cross or cross-onshore winds, so it will be bumpy. Wednesday the 12th jumps to 9.8-11.5ft of pure grunt (energy 6940) with a fresh cross-shore – that’s messy and dangerous. Thursday the 13th holds 9.8ft but with a fresh to strong cross-off, cleaning it up a bit, but the size is still expert-only. Friday the 14th is a write-off with a near-gale offshore – 37 mph winds – just impossible.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see the size dropping back to 5.9-7.5ft, but the wind is still moderate and cross or cross-off. The rip bowl will have some push, but the wind will mess with the face. Crowds at Rhino Head are listed as “sometimes,” so on a solid weekend you might have company.

Finally, Monday the 17th shows a flicker of hope in the distant window. The morning is light cross-shore with 5.2ft, but the afternoon cleans up proper: 6.2ft SW swell (14 secs) with a gentle cross-off. The

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