Rhino Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.28° S 136.95° E

Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 2 am 02 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rhino Head sea temperature is
14.7° C
0.3° 

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 2 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,597 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. 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 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Tue 4th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 12s
Best Surf 6AM (Tue 4th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 12s
Most Powerful 9AM (Sun 9th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Mother Nature’s got lined up for us.

First up, water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Sunday the 2nd has some swell around but the conditions are messy with a fresh cross-off breeze, and the wave comment says poor. Not worth getting wet for. Monday the 3rd sees the swell bump up to 6ft from the SW, and the energy is climbing, but it’s still a bit lumpy with that cross-off wind, and only a marginal call.

Tuesday the 4th is where things start to look interesting. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SW but the wind goes totally glassy by the afternoon – dead calm, 0 mph. That’s a rare treat. The energy is moderate and the period is a nice 14 seconds, so you’ll get some proper groundswell lines. It’s only 3ft by the arvo but clean as a whistle. The best time will be Tuesday afternoon at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef, fairly consistent, and with glassy conditions like that, the crowds might show up (it says ‘sometimes’), but it’ll be worth sharing a few waves. The swell direction is SW, which matches the optimum direction for the spot. For a beginner-friendly reef, this is your window.

Wednesday the 5th drops right off to 2ft, still clean but tiny. Thursday the 6th is similar, clean but small. Then Friday the 7th the swell jumps back to 6ft from the SW, energy is strong, but the cross-shore wind chops it up. Saturday the 8th gets blown out by a near gale – 31 mph from the north – so that’s a write-off. Sunday the 9th is big but ugly: 8ft to 10ft from the SW with a near gale cross-shore. That’s for the crew with death wishes only.

Now, Monday the 10th of August is the real standout. Morning session: 8ft of SW swell, 16-second period, energy is huge, and the wind is a gentle cross-off from the WSW. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is big, powerful reef surf – over 8ft so it’s experts only. The direction still lines up well. If you’ve got the skills, Monday morning is the pick of the whole forecast. The afternoon drops a bit to 8ft but stays clean.

Tuesday the 11th holds size around 8ft but the wind picks up to a fresh breeze from the NNW, making it a bit messier. Good for the brave but not as clean as Monday. Wednesday the 12th is another solid 10ft morning with a gentle offshore, energy through the roof, but the afternoon gets rain and a fresh breeze. Still, for the big-wave crew, Wednesday morning is a looker.

After that, it slowly fades. Thursday the 13th is 7ft, Friday the 14th is 5ft with a gentle offshore and a “very good” wave comment – a nice cleanup day for the intermediate crowd. Saturday the 15th is 4ft and clean, and Sunday the 16th drops to under 3ft and the energy fizzles. The last decent window is Monday the 17th with 5ft and a gentle offshore again – a tidy end to the run.

So, to wrap it up: Tuesday afternoon the 4th for the glassy, beginner-friendly session, and Monday morning the 10th for the experienced crew wanting some meaty, clean reef waves. The rest is a mix of too small, too windy, or too raw.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sun night, calm by Tue afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the N by Fri night).

Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
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
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
15
2.1
SW
16
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SW
14
1.4
SW
13
1.1
SW
12
1
SW
14
0.6
SSW
20
0.7
SSW
19
0.7
SW
18
0.9
SSW
17
0.9
SW
16
1.1
SW
19
1.7
SSW
16
1.7
SW
17
1.6
SW
17
1.3
SSW
16
1.3
SSW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
657
592
2259
1382
1115
690
398
407
280
325
327
481
362
930
1479
1717
1417
875
843
805
711
Wind (km/h)
35
NNW
30
WNW
35
WSW
25
SW
25
SW
15
SSW
5
S
0
W
15
NNE
15
NNW
15
NNW
15
NNW
10
NNW
5
NW
15
NE
20
NNE
20
N
35
NNE
50
N
35
NW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
off
High Tide
3:48PM0.94m
4:17AM0.69m
4:06PM0.85m
4:45AM0.76m
4:21PM0.75m
5:18AM0.80m
4:29PM0.65m
5:59AM0.83m
4:19PM0.55m
6:55AM0.84m
8:33AM0.83m
Low Tide
10:24PM0.15m
9:54AM0.23m
10:33PM0.15m
10:33AM0.28m
10:42PM0.14m
11:17AM0.35m
10:51PM0.12m
12:14PM0.44m
11:00PM0.11m
11:08PM0.10m
11:05PM0.12m
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
mod rain
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
7:13
7:11
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:43
5:44
 mm
1
6
4
2
9
Temp °C
12
14
13
13
12
12
12
11
11
13
11
13
14
14
14
16
17
16
13
16
14
Feels °C
4
6
5
7
6
9
9
10
8
8
8
10
11
12
12
11
12
9
5
10
8
  • 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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