Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on our hands for Rhino Head over the next couple of weeks. The first few days are worth a look, then we hit a long quiet stretch, before a serious pulse of swell shows up in the final week that could be something special if the wind plays ball.

Right off the bat, Sunday morning the 6th of September is the pick of the early period. Rhino Head is a sheltered reef break that’s beginner-friendly and fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 59°—about average for this time of year, which is nice. We’ve got a solid 6ft south-west swell rolling in with a 14-second period, carrying moderate wave energy. That cross-off wind from the west-south-west is going to keep the surface clean, and the wave comment is “expect very good surf conditions.” This is your session for the next few days, no question. The afternoon sees the swell drop slightly to 5ft, but the score drops right off due to questionable tide, so stick to the morning.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are less inspiring. Swell drops to 3ft on Monday with cross-on winds and a poor surf call. Tuesday bumps back up to 5ft with a very long 17-second period from the south-south-west, and the combined energy is moderate, but the wind is cross-on and lumpy, giving it a marginal call. That long period groundswell will want to wrap around the reef, so there might be a few waves, but it’s not going to be clean.

From Wednesday the 9th right through to the 18th of September, it’s pretty bleak. The swell hangs around from 2ft to 7ft, but the wind is consistently onshore, cross-onshore, or just too strong, with poor calls for most sessions. There’s a couple of afternoons like Sunday the 13th with light cross-off wind and 3ft swell that get a “good surf conditions” call, but it’s small and inconsistent. Overall, this is a long drought of about 9 days where nothing really lines up.

Then, things change. The real standout is Monday morning the 21st of September. The swell pumps up to a massive 12ft from the south-west with a solid 18-second period, and the combined energy is strong to very strong. The wind is a light cross-off from the north, keeping things clean, and the call is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” At over 8ft, this is expert territory. Rhino Head being a sheltered reef, that long-period groundswell should wrap in nicely, giving long, hollow lines. The afternoon is even better: the swell holds at 10ft, the wind goes glassy from the north-west, and the energy is extreme. That’s the session to circle on your calendar. It’s two weeks out, so things could shift, but the potential is huge. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so expect a few locals out for that one.

Before that, Sunday morning the 20th of September has 10ft swell with clean cross-off wind, but it’s more marginal due to period and tide—still worth a paddle if you don’t want to wait.

If you’re not an expert, the only real window for beginners is that Sunday morning the 6th with 6ft clean swell. After that, it’s either too small, too windy, or too big. For the big days on the 20th and 21st, it’s all about experienced surfers only.

Keep an eye on the long-range call for the 21st—that’s the one that could be absolute gold.

Rusty.

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