Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 13 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 3,158 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s 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 09) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 20s. 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here, checkin' in with a look at what's ahead for our one and only spot, Rhino Head. It's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so let's get into it.
First thing to know, this spot is a sheltered reef break that's beginner-friendly and it's pretty consistent. The water at the start is sitting at about 60°F, which is dead on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We're starting out a little slow. Wednesday the 8th is a write-off – we've got a big 6ft SSW groundswell with an 18-second period, but the ENE cross-on wind has it all chopped up and messy, so just leave it. Thursday the 9th is where we start to see a pulse of cleaner conditions. Thursday morning, the swell drops to a clean 3ft from the SSW, with a super long 15-second period. The wind is a light N cross-off, so it's clean, but the energy is a bit lower. The standout window is actually Thursday afternoon, July 9th. We’ve got 3ft of SSW swell, but the period goes right up to a very long 18 seconds, with a solid energy reading. With the wind turning NNW and staying cross-off, it'll be glassy and clean. For a sheltered reef like Rhino Head, that long-period groundswell is perfect.
Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th get a bit dicey. Friday has some size but gusty NW winds, and Saturday sees the wind absolutely howling from the SW at 31 mph with 7ft of wind-affected swell. That's not fun.
Now, the real juice comes in early next week. Sunday morning, July 12th is a serious standout. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the SW with a nice 13-second period. The combined energy is pumping. The wind is going to be offshore from the W at 22 mph, meaning fresh, clean lines all morning. This is expert territory though – that 7ft is heavy, and the 8ft on Tuesday the 14th with massive energy is definitely for the experienced crew only. The forecast looks promising, but as it's a bit further out, keep an eye on it.
After that, the end of the second week gets tricky. From the 15th through to the 23rd, the winds keep swinging onshore or cross-shore, and the surf quality drops right off. We've got a few 3ft - 5ft windows on the 16th and 23rd with glassy or cross-off winds, so you might find a sneaky clean wave on Thursday afternoon, July 16th – glassy conditions with 3ft of SW swell at a 14-second period – but it's going to be inconsistent. For the most part, the combo of strong winds and onshore flow makes this stretch a bit of a blank run. Keep the board waxed though – forecasts can flip.
Stay sharp.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Wed night, strong winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sat morning, moderate winds from the W by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1837 | 1214 | 768 | 443 | 486 | 906 | 773 | 574 | 412 | 708 | 1538 | 2717 | 1544 | 1036 | 1155 | 2147 | 1765 | 2434 | 2748 | 3136 | 2348 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 5:04PM0.64m | 8:06AM0.78m | 9:43AM0.87m | 11:10AM0.97m | 12:14PM1.07m | 1:22AM0.26m | 1:06PM1.16m | 1:50AM0.30m | 1:51PM1.21m | 2:20AM0.37m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:23PM0.52m | 00:07AM0.25m | 00:21AM0.23m | 00:38AM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 9:31PM0.21m | 3:57AM0.24m | 9:29PM0.18m | 5:42AM0.21m | 9:42PM0.16m | |||||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | — | — | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 20 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | — | SW 15 |
| kJ | 1837 | 1214 | 768 | 443 | 297 | 906 | 773 | 574 | 412 | 133 | — | — | 509 | 1036 | 1155 | 253 | 1765 | 2434 | 556 | — | 2255 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 97 | 486 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 126 | 123 | 38 | 120 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NNE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | WNW 4 | W 5 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 5 | W 6 | SW 16 | WSW 6 | W 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 17 | 53 | 708 | 1538 | 2717 | 1544 | 49 | 64 | 2147 | 55 | 137 | 2748 | 3136 | 2348 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 155 | 1028 | 723 | 1028 | 1189 | 1182 | 1182 | 1233 | 161 | 0 | 1247 | 1182 | 1210 |
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.
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