
Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,654 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 16s 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what we’ve got coming up at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef set-up that’s beginner-friendly and fairly consistent, but it’s going to take a bit of patience to find the real moments here.
The first solid window is a long way off, so we’re looking at a pretty flat and average start to the period. The first few days from Thursday the 23rd through to the end of July are mostly a write-off. We’ve got a few days of clean conditions but with very small swell, like Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, where the waves are just too weak to get excited about. The energy is low (287-477 range), and the swell is barely scraping 3 ft. It’s pretty ordinary.
We then hit a proper gap from Monday the 28th through to Thursday the 30th – the wind is ugly, mostly cross-shore or onshore, and the quality tanks. Combined energy jumps up a bit (964-1963), but the wind and chop ruin it. This stretch is a no-go for a paddle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during those days.
Finally, things start to turn around at the very end of the week. Friday the 31st of July gives us a little tease with a glassy morning and a very long period 20-second swell, but the size is tiny at 2 ft. The energy is still low (396). It’s clean but not surfable.
The real standouts come on the 1st and 2nd of August. If you’ve been waiting, this is your window. Saturday the 1st of August afternoon is the first true highlight. We’ve got 6 ft of clean swell from the SW with a 17-second period, combined energy up at 1721. The wind is a light cross-offshore, making it clean. This is a proper, long-period groundswell, and on a reef like Rhino Head, that’s a beautiful thing. The water temp is about 59° here, which is normal for the time of year.
Then Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon is even better. It’s glassy, 5 ft of SW swell, with a 15-second period and combined energy of 1736. This is about as good as it gets for this spot. The conditions are calling for very good surf. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue here, so with a forecast this good, expect some company.
Looking further ahead, Monday the 3rd of August morning has the biggest swell of the run at 7 ft from the SSW with a very long 18-second period and strong energy (2961). That’s a lot of power. For a beginner-friendly reef, 7 ft is pushing into expert territory, especially with that long period. It’s clean but the size and power will be a handful. The afternoon is still solid at 6 ft.
After that, the swell fades off quickly into the second week. The 4th through the 6th of August drop back to small, poor conditions, with energy dropping below 600. We do get a late pulse on Friday the 7th of August, with a 5 ft, 20-second period SW groundswell and energy of 2705, but it’s a bit of a long shot being that far out. The wind is clean, so it’s promising but less certain.
Bottom line: The first week is a dud. The best on offer is definitely the afternoon of Saturday the 1st of August and the glassy afternoon of Sunday the 2nd of August. That’s when you want to be in the water. Monday the 3rd is for the experienced crew only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NW by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 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 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1244 | 1571 | 1460 | 1069 | 857 | 581 | 269 | 369 | 319 | 264 | 220 | 192 | 386 | 330 | 373 | 696 | 1654 | 1340 | 1080 | 721 | 458 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 10:19AM0.78m | 11:59AM0.84m | 12:49PM0.90m | 1:24PM0.96m | 2:45AM0.37m | 1:54PM1.01m | 2:43AM0.41m | 2:20PM1.04m | 2:54AM0.45m | ||||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:35PM0.23m | 11:03PM0.24m | 10:07PM0.23m | 9:39PM0.22m | 9:34PM0.20m | 6:03AM0.32m | 9:37PM0.19m | 6:55AM0.27m | 9:44PM0.17m | ||||||||||||
7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 16 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 |
1212 | 411 | 1460 | 1069 | 857 | 581 | 269 | 369 | 319 | 264 | 220 | 192 | 386 | 330 | 373 | 220 | 228 | 1340 | 1080 | 721 | 458 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | WSW 4 | SSW 13 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 22 | SW 20 | SSW 19 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 65 | 10 | 25 | 54 | 86 | 5 | 113 | — | 48 | 81 | 126 | 45 | 98 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | S 18 | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 60 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | — | — | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | W 6 | WSW 5 | — | WSW 6 | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | W 10 | SW 16 | SSW 4 | — | SE 3 | ESE 3 |
1244 | 1571 | — | — | 11 | 17 | 42 | 37 | 22 | — | 20 | — | 3 | 7 | 19 | 696 | 1654 | 29 | — | 1 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 30 | 740 | 30 | 155 | 510 | 510 | 5 | 132 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 154 | 155 | 5 | 30 | 30 | 44 | 11 | 11 | 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.










