Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, listen up. Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next few weeks at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef, good for beginners, and it’s fairly consistent which is a positive. Water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so not a wetsuit drama.

We’ve got a solid run of clean surf kicking off on Tuesday the 14th of July. The afternoon sees a 7ft SSW swell, but it’s a bit of a cross-off wind, so it’s not the cleanest. The real standout comes on Wednesday the 15th. The morning is showing a 5ft SSW groundswell with a long 15-second period, and the wind is a light northerly that’s cross-off. That’s going to be glassy and clean. The combined swell energy is a solid 1001, which is moderate, but the shape will be there. The afternoon gets even better: a 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a 5 km/h offshore wind from the WNW. That’s about as clean as it gets for a beginner-friendly reef. The energy drops to 857, but the quality is top-notch.

Thursday the 16th keeps the good vibes going. The afternoon is the pick with a 5ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and a light northerly cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps back up to 1082, and the waves will be clean and well-shaped. Friday the 17th is still solid, with a 4ft SSW swell and 16-second period in the morning, and a 4ft SW swell in the afternoon. Both sessions have light cross-off winds, keeping it clean, but the energy is a bit lower at 854 and 721.

After Friday, things get a bit more ordinary. Saturday the 18th drops to 3ft with a short, weak 14-second period and a cross wind, making it look pretty average. Then we hit a bit of a dry spell. From Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st, the swell is small and weak, or the wind is too strong. A few days are surfable but nothing to write home about. Wednesday the 22nd sees a bit of a bump in the morning with a 4ft SW swell and a fresh offshore wind, but it’s a short 11-second period, so it’ll be a bit weak and wonky. The energy is 791.

Then from Thursday the 23rd through the end of the period, it’s a write-off. The swell gets bigger, with 6ft and 6ft on the 23rd, but the wind turns onshore from the SE and SSE, just ruining it. The energy is high (1396 on the 23rd morning), but it’s big, choppy, and poor. This is a beach and reef setup, so with that much onshore wind and poor quality, it’d be more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle board. The rest of the days are a mix of small, weak swells or onshore slop. The period from the 23rd to the 29th is a long stretch of bad surf.

The clear winner for the whole forecast is the afternoon of Wednesday the 15th of July. The 5ft SW swell, 14-second period, and light offshore wind from the WNW will make for perfect, clean waves at Rhino Head. The morning of the 15th is a close second with that 5ft groundswell and glassy conditions. Get out there, because it’s a long shot after that.

Rusty.

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