
Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 3,216 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Rhino Head. It’s a reef break that’s fairly consistent and loves a SW swell.
The first few days are a bit of a bust. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th have some decent swell – we’re looking at 7ft to 8ft of SW groundswell with a 15-second period, so there’s a lot of energy (1976 to 2278). But the wind is a cross-off, blowing 22 to 25 mph, which is just too strong for clean waves. The surf is poor and the conditions are marginal.
Wednesday the 29th, the swell is still up at 7ft in the morning (SSW, 16 seconds, energy 2717) and then 6ft in the afternoon (SSW, 15 seconds, 1664). The wind eases to 12 mph, still cross-off. It’s still a bit messy, with only marginal surf forecast.
Now, Thursday the 30th is a bright spot. The morning glass-off is the key. The wind drops to 3 mph from the ESE, going glassy, and we’ve got a 4ft SSW swell (13 seconds, moderate energy around 492) rolling in. The water temp is 59°, which is about normal for this time of year. This is the cleanest window in the first week. The surf will be small but clean, with some fun little waves for a beginner-friendly reef. The afternoon stays glassy, but the swell drops to 4ft and the conditions become more ordinary. The morning is the standout.
Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August: the swell drops right off, down to 2ft to 4ft, and the wind is cross-off or cross. The energy is weak (216 to 787). The period is long (13 to 18 seconds), but the size is just too small for anything decent. Poor surf conditions.
Sunday the 2nd of August is a write-off. Rain, strong cross-off winds, and a 4ft SSW swell that’s just not coming together. Conditions are poor.
Monday the 3rd of August: the swell nudges back up to 6ft (SW, 15 seconds, 1446 energy), but the wind is cross-on from the S, only 9 mph, but it’s enough to make it choppy. Marginal at best.
The rest of the first week and into the second week is a mixed bag of small to moderate swell, but the wind is almost always wrong – cross-on, onshore, or too strong. There’s a long gap with no real quality surf.
Looking further out, around the 7th of August (Friday afternoon), the wind turns cross-off from the N, and we have a 5ft SW swell (15 seconds, 828 energy). The forecast says “expect good surf conditions,” but it’s a one-off in a long stretch of poor forecasts. It’s promising, but not a sure thing this far out.
The 8th and 9th of August see the swell holding at 4ft to 5ft, but the wind is too strong, 15 to 28 mph, making it a battle. The 9th has strong offshore winds from the WNW, which will clean up the face, but make it hard to paddle into.
The 10th of August: the wind is a near gale, 31 mph from the WSW. The swell is 6ft (SW, 15 seconds, 1528). That’s serious wind. For a reef break, it’s going to be a mess. Kite surfers might be having a field day, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.
In summary, the only real window of decent, clean surf is the morning of Thursday the 30th of July. After that, it’s a long stretch of wind-affected, marginal, or poor conditions. The long-range looks a bit more promising around the 7th of August, but it’s a long way off and the wind is still a concern.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Mon afternoon, calm by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 10°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the NNW by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
380 | 859 | 1832 | 2010 | 3216 | 2359 | 1409 | 754 | 465 | 394 | 245 | 170 | 161 | 280 | 768 | 1564 | 1068 | 864 | 1737 | 2130 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:45AM0.37m | 1:54PM1.01m | 2:43AM0.41m | 2:20PM1.04m | 2:54AM0.45m | 2:44PM1.05m | 3:10AM0.51m | 3:07PM1.04m | 3:30AM0.57m | 3:28PM1.00m | 3:52AM0.63m | 3:48PM0.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:34PM0.20m | 6:03AM0.32m | 9:37PM0.19m | 6:55AM0.27m | 9:44PM0.17m | 7:35AM0.24m | 9:54PM0.16m | 8:10AM0.21m | 10:04PM0.16m | 8:44AM0.20m | 10:14PM0.15m | 9:18AM0.21m | 10:24PM0.15m | |||||||
— | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 11 | — | — | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
380 | 315 | — | — | 3216 | 2359 | 1409 | 754 | 465 | 394 | 245 | 170 | 161 | 151 | 768 | 1564 | 1068 | 864 | 1737 | 2130 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 8 | — | SW 22 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 21 | — | WSW 7 | W 8 | SW 16 | — |
36 | — | — | — | — | 358 | 255 | 149 | 29 | — | 20 | 44 | 149 | 280 | 45 | — | 10 | 153 | 427 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 23 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 5 | WSW 11 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | N 3 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | WSW 5 | — | — |
45 | 859 | 1832 | 2010 | 2928 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 41 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 154 | 468 | 161 | 535 | 1028 | 1182 | 1050 | 268 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 83 | 83 | 154 | 723 | 468 |
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.










