Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down this next couple of weeks at Rhino Head. We’re starting quiet, but there’s a bit of pulse building in the middle of the week before it gets rowdy.

Right now, Sunday the 30th has some small swell in the water, about 3ft from the SSW, but the wind is on it and it’s making a mess. Just poor surf conditions. The water temp is sitting around 59°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

Monday the 31st is where we start to see a glimmer. Morning surf is marginal with 4ft SSW swell, but by the afternoon it cleans right up. The wind swings light and cross-off from the north, and we’re looking at 5ft of SSW groundswell with a gorgeous 18-second period. The wave energy is pumping at 1551, and conditions are expected to be very good. This is the first standout, a true clean little window.

Tuesday morning the 1st of September gets blown out by a strong NNW wind at 25 mph, so forget it. The afternoon gets a bit better with a fresh offshore breeze from the WNW, dropping to 3ft of clean but small swell. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate.

Wednesday the 2nd is a mixed bag – morning has a moderate cross-off breeze and 4ft SSW swell, but it’s only marginal. The afternoon picks up a bit to 6ft with a fresh offshore, but still marginal. Not our day.

Now, Thursday the 3rd of September looks proper. Morning rolls in with a moderate offshore breeze from the WNW, 6ft of SW swell, and the combined energy is 1942 – that’s solid. Very good surf conditions. The afternoon holds the same size and quality. This is another standout, right up there with Monday afternoon.

Friday the 4th gets messy. A fresh to near-gale northerly and northwesterly wind chops up the 5-6ft SSW swell. Poor conditions by the afternoon. Skip it.

Saturday the 5th is for the brave. We see 7-8ft of SW swell, but the wind is a strong cross-off. The energy is massive – 3316 in the afternoon – but it’s marginal at best with that much juice and a beach/reef setup. For most of us, that’s more of a kite-surfing scene than a paddle session.

Sunday the 6th through Monday the 7th of September brings more strong winds and even bigger lumps. By Monday afternoon, we’re looking at 10ft of SW swell but with a howling strong breeze. Poor conditions. Not for the average surfer.

Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are next-level big. Tuesday sees 12ft swells with insane energy readings of 6874 and 6630 – but the wind is ripping strong cross-shore, making it a complete mess. Wednesday morning drops to 8ft with a light cross-on breeze, still marginal. Wednesday afternoon is the next true standout: 7ft of SSW groundswell with a light cross-off breeze from the WSW, glassy clean. The energy is 2860, and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. If you’re an expert, that’s your session right there.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th of September start to settle. Thursday sees clean but small 4-4ft SW swell with light winds – a nice mellow day. But Friday afternoon is a gem: 5ft of SSW swell, 16-second period, with glassy conditions and light air. That’s going to be smooth as butter.

The weekend of the 12th and 13th of September is a mixed bag – some clean afternoon windows with 5ft SW swell, but the winds are generally cross-off to moderate. Fairly consistent, but nothing that’ll blow you away. By Sunday the 14th, we’re back to small and lumpy, with poor conditions.

So to sum it up, your best bets are Monday 31st August afternoon (clean 5ft SSW groundswell) and Thursday 3rd September (solid 6ft SW, clean offshore). For the brave, Wednesday 9th September afternoon offers a real treat for experts. Anything in the second week is smaller and less certain, but the glassy Friday 11th is worth keeping an eye on.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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