Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, staring down the charts for Rhino Head. Let’s break this down.

The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. We’ve got a few decent windows, but you’re going to have to pick your moments. The real standout action is all the way out on Monday the 10th of August, so keep that one circled.

Right off the bat, Thursday morning the 30th of July is your first real chance. Rhino Head will have clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a 13-second period. The wind is glassy, dead calm – absolute perfection for a beginner-friendly reef. The wave energy is moderate (483), so it won’t be too pushy. Water temp is about 59°F, which is average for the time of year – nothing crazy.

That window holds into Thursday afternoon as well, with 4ft SW swell and glassy conditions, but the energy drops off slightly. It still surfable, just not the pick.

Then we hit a flat spell. Friday the 31st through to the end of the first week is pretty ordinary. A couple of days with small windswell (2ft to 3ft), messy winds, and poor conditions. Not worth paddling out for. The morning of Saturday the 1st of August picks up a bit with 4ft SSW swell and clean offshore winds, but it’s a long-period 18-second swell, and with a moderate north breeze making it cross-off, it’s a bit tricky. The energy is building (751), but it’s still a marginal call.

Sunday the 2nd is a write-off with 25 mph winds. Monday the 3rd sees a bump to 5ft SSW swell, but the wind is messy and cross-off, which takes the shine off.

Now, let’s talk about the true standout: Monday the 10th of August. This is the one. We’ve got a solid 10ft WSW groundswell with a 13-second period, and the wind on Monday afternoon goes light and cross-off, making it clean. The combined energy is a massive 3725 – that’s strong, powerful water moving. This is a big swell, definitely one for experienced surfers only. Rhino Head is a sheltered reef break, and with the swell direction from WSW, it’ll be hitting the optimum SW direction nicely if you account for the slight shift. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and I’d take that to the bank. Crowds are ‘sometimes’ here, so you might get a few others who also saw this coming.

Tuesday the 11th keeps the 10ft SW swell going, with 16-second periods and even bigger energy (4765 in the morning, 6654 in the afternoon), but the wind turns cross-shore and picks up, so those pulsing sets will have a bit of chop on them. It’s still a big day, but not as clean as Monday.

Later in the week, Thursday the 13th of August offers a last hurrah: 5ft SSW groundswell, 17-second period, and by the afternoon it goes glassy again. Energy is strong (1428), and conditions should be very clean. Worth a look if you missed the main event.

So in short: the next few days have fleeting moments of glassy, clean surf for beginners, but the real cannon is on Monday the 10th of August – that’s the big one to chase if you’ve got the skills. Don’t sleep on the Thursday the 13th afternoon either.

Rusty.

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