Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 19s period, SW swell with 2,244 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 13s period. 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 1.8m 19s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, with a look at the local surf scene. We've got one spot that's going to be our main focus over this 16-day stretch: Rhino Head. It's a sheltered reef break that's pretty consistent, and it's a good option for beginners when the swell's not too big. Water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The first few days are a bit of a slow burn. Sunday the 23rd starts with some lumpy, cross-shore wind on a 5ft SW swell, but by the afternoon the wind drops right off to almost nothing, cleaning up the 5ft SW swell. It's a promising start but nothing to write home about.
Monday the 24th is a write-off with light rain and 12 mph cross-winds mucking up the 3ft swell. The next day, Tuesday the 25th, is a no-go too. A strong 19 mph cross-wind is on it, and that 6ft SSW swell is just a messy, lumpy affair.
We start to see some life on Wednesday the 26th. A clean 4ft SW swell with light offshore wind in the morning. It's surfable. Thursday the 27th morning is okay, but it's the afternoon that's the real standout. We get a 4ft SW groundswell with a very long 19-second period and light offshore wind. That's a recipe for some beautifully clean, lined-up waves. The wave energy is moderate (1399), but the quality will be excellent.
Friday the 28th is the real gem. The morning has a clean 6ft SW swell with light offshore wind. Then the afternoon turns glassy – dead calm, offshore wind, and a 5ft SW swell. That's as good as it gets. The wave energy is strong (1101), and the conditions are perfect.
The weekend takes a dip. Saturday the 29th is a mess with onshore wind, and Sunday the 30th is a write-off with onshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell. Monday the 31st is a bit of a mixed bag, with some clean afternoon windows.
Into the first week of September, things get choppy and inconsistent. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd have some clean but small windows, but the wind gets fresh and the swell drops off. Thursday the 3rd through to Saturday the 5th is a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays small and the wind is all wrong. It's a quiet period.
Then, on Sunday the 6th of September, we get a nice surprise. The morning is glassy, with a solid 7ft SW groundswell and a long 16-second period. The wave energy is very strong (3271). This is a standout for experienced surfers – that size is going to be too much for beginners. The sets will be clean and powerful, but the long period might make it a bit walled-off at this reef, so pick your peak. The afternoon is still clean with a 6ft swell, but the wind picks up a touch. Monday the 7th is blown out by a strong 25 mph wind, so that's that.
So, looking at the whole 16 days, the best windows are undeniably the Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Sunday morning sessions. Friday the 28th's glassy afternoon is the pick of the lot – you won't get better conditions than that. The 7ft glassy swell on the 6th of September is the other big one, but only if you've got the chops for it. The rest of the period is a mix of small, clean windows and poor, blown-out days.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon night, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1433 | 1018 | 496 | 297 | 194 | 219 | 1356 | 1031 | 658 | 444 | 326 | 114 | 280 | 959 | 2101 | 1542 | 1101 | 685 | 507 | 342 | 234 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:20PM0.72m | 12:56PM0.79m | 3:38AM0.37m | 1:22PM0.86m | 2:36AM0.40m | 1:44PM0.90m | 2:26AM0.46m | 2:05PM0.93m | 2:32AM0.53m | 2:25PM0.93m | 2:45AM0.61m | 2:45PM0.90m | 3:02AM0.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:39PM0.15m | 9:15PM0.15m | 5:30AM0.36m | 9:03PM0.14m | 6:37AM0.29m | 8:59PM0.13m | 7:15AM0.22m | 9:00PM0.11m | 7:48AM0.16m | 9:04PM0.10m | 8:19AM0.12m | 9:11PM0.08m | |||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 11 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
1433 | 1018 | 496 | 297 | 194 | 219 | 803 | 334 | 658 | 444 | 326 | 114 | 280 | 959 | 2101 | 1542 | 1101 | 685 | 507 | 342 | 234 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | — | — | — | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 21 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | S 19 | SSW 20 |
— | — | — | 15 | 57 | 152 | — | — | — | 31 | 41 | 86 | 222 | 440 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 149 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 23 | SW 4 |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 2 | NE 4 | — | SSW 16 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 3 |
— | — | — | 2 | 7 | — | 1356 | 1031 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 30 | 475 | 44 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
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.











