Rhino Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.28° S 136.95° E

Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 8 am 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rhino Head sea temperature is
15.4° C
0.1° 

Rhino Head surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rhino Head surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,677 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s 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 (Jul 20) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rhino Head in the next 16 days are 1.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Mon 20th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s
Best Surf 3PM (Mon 20th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s
Most Powerful 3PM (Thu 23rd Jul)6ft (1.9m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Rhino Head.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first proper surfable window doesn’t really open up until Monday, the 20th of July. Before that, Sunday the 19th is a complete write-off – tiny 2ft swell with poor conditions, so don’t even bother. That’s a day and a half of nothing.

Monday morning, the 20th, wakes up with a 3.3ft SW swell, but it’s still a bit marginal. The afternoon is where you start to get interested. The swell bumps up to 3.6ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and the combined energy is sitting at a solid 535 – that’s a moderate push. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. There’s a 2/10 score on the afternoon, which is the best we’ve seen so far. Tuesday the 21st holds that same 3.6ft SW swell, with the morning delivering a 13-second period and a light breeze keeping it tidy. The afternoon sees a WNW offshore wind – that’s a major positive. It’s a bit smaller in energy, but the glassy conditions will make for some fun little waves.

Now, Wednesday the 22nd gets messy. The swell is there, 4.3ft to 4.6ft, but it’s getting hammered by a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 821 on the afternoon, but the wind is going to chop it up. Not our day. Thursday the 23rd bumps up to 6.2ft from the SSW with a 14 to 16-second period, and the energy rockets into the strong zone at 1468 and 1677. The problem is the wind is swinging cross and cross-off, and it’s a moderate breeze. It’s a marginal call – the size is there, but it won’t be pretty. That kind of height is getting a bit big for beginners anyway.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th see the swell drop back to 3.9ft to 4.6ft, but the wind stays fresh or moderate, keeping the quality average. The 6.2ft days on Thursday are the biggest in the first week, but the wind is the enemy.

The real standout, the one that makes you sit up, is Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning delivers a solid 9.8ft of SW swell, with a 15-second period and a massive 4135 energy reading – that’s very strong. The wind is a strong offshore breeze from the West at 45 km/h. The file says “marginal surf forecast” but the score is a 2, and the description says “strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into.” That’s the truth. That’s a big, powerful groundswell, and with that long period, it’s going to be a proper, heavy reef wave. This is strictly for experts – 8.2ft is already the top end for most, and 9.8ft is serious. The afternoon drops to 8.2ft with a near gale offshore, which is even harder to paddle into, but the wave itself will be a beast.

After that, the swell drops back through the 6.2ft range on Wednesday the 29th, but cross-shore winds ruin the party. Then we get a long gap of poor conditions right through to the end of July and into August 1st. That Saturday the 1st of August has a tiny 2ft SSW swell, glassy in the morning, but it’s just too small to get excited about.

Then, hold onto your boards. Sunday the 2nd of August is our second true standout. The afternoon delivers a 7.2ft swell from the WSW, with a 13-second period and a massive 2545 energy reading. The wind is a light cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. The file gives it a 4/10 score and says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That is the best call of the whole forecast. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s clean. 7.2ft is right on the edge of expert territory, so you need to know what you’re doing. Monday the 3rd of August has a slightly bigger 7.2ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is enormous at 4566, but the wind is onshore and light, which is a shame. It’ll be a heavy, straight-breaking wave at the beach, so it’s more of a reef or point wave that day.

The water temperature is sitting at 59.7°F, which is basically normal for this time of year – no crazy anomaly to report.

So, to wrap it up: for the short-term, Monday afternoon the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are your best bets for a fun, clean, manageable wave. The big, serious swell comes on Tuesday the 28th of July and Sunday the 2nd of August. Those are the days for the experienced crew to get the big, clean, powerful waves. The 28th is a raw, offshore beast, and the 2nd of August is the cleanest of the big days. Don’t sleep

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri night, min 10°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds.

Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
0
0
2
1
2
2
1
0
0
1
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
20
0.6
SW
18
0.9
SW
16
1
SW
15
1.1
SW
15
1.4
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1.1
SW
12
1
SW
12
1.3
SW
11
1.4
SW
13
1.7
SSW
15
1.9
SSW
14
1.9
SSW
16
1.7
SSW
15
1.4
SW
15
1.4
SW
14
1.4
SW
14
1.2
SW
13
1.2
SSW
13
1.1
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
120
252
376
427
535
787
437
346
277
445
643
1297
1468
1677
1271
869
742
681
501
451
358
Wind (km/h)
20
N
20
N
15
N
20
NNW
15
NNW
10
N
10
NNW
10
WNW
20
NW
30
SW
30
SSW
25
SW
20
S
20
SW
20
SW
20
W
30
W
30
WSW
20
WSW
20
SW
10
SSE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
4:36PM0.90m
5:25AM0.72m
4:53PM0.77m
6:08AM0.75m
4:58PM0.66m
6:59AM0.76m
4:25PM0.58m
8:11AM0.76m
10:19AM0.78m
11:59AM0.84m
Low Tide
10:13AM0.27m
11:14PM0.19m
10:59AM0.36m
11:28PM0.20m
11:50AM0.45m
11:38PM0.21m
1:03PM0.53m
11:42PM0.22m
11:35PM0.23m
11:03PM0.24m
10:07PM0.23m
cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
rain showers
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:26
7:26
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:32
5:34
 mm
1
1
1
1
1
Temp °C
13
14
16
14
15
15
14
14
15
13
12
12
11
11
12
12
12
14
14
14
13
Feels °C
9
9
12
10
12
12
11
11
12
7
5
6
5
5
7
6
6
9
10
10
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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