Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a bit of a slow start for the only break on the radar, Rhino Head. This is a sheltered reef that’s fairly consistent, so it’s got potential, but the first few days are a write-off. From Friday the 28th of August right through to Sunday the 30th, the surf is either marginal or just plain poor. You’d be wasting your time paddling out. There’s a gap of about three days with nothing worth chasing.

Things start to shift on Monday the 31st of August. The morning is still a bit messy with a cross-onshore breeze and a 4ft swell from the SSW, but by Monday afternoon, we get a real change. The wind goes light and cross-offshore, and the swell picks up to 5ft from the SSW with a very long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1553 (moderate-strong). This is a proper groundswell, and on a reef like Rhino Head, that long period should wrap in nicely. The water is 58°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Tuesday the 1st of September gets blown out by a strong NNW wind in the morning, but the afternoon sees a clean offshore breeze from the WNW at 15 mph. The swell drops to 4ft from the SW, and the period is still decent at 15 seconds. It’s a bit smaller, but the conditions will be clean for a few mellow ones.

The standout window is from Wednesday the 2nd through to Friday the 4th of September. Wednesday morning has a gentle offshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell, and by Wednesday afternoon, the wind freshens a bit but stays offshore. The swell holds at 5ft from the SSW. Thursday the 3rd sees a bigger, stronger swell at 5ft to 5ft from the SW, with a fresh offshore wind all day. The real highlight hits on Friday the 4th of September. The morning brings a 6ft SW swell with a gentle offshore wind and a combined energy of 2130 (strong). This is excellent, clean surf, but that 6ft is pushing into solid territory – not for beginners, but experienced surfers are going to have a field day. The afternoon drops a little but is still solid at 6ft.

Saturday the 5th of September gets big and rowdy. The morning has an 8ft SW swell, but it’s blown out by a strong cross-offshore wind. The afternoon sees a 10ft SW swell with a 31 mph offshore wind (near gale). That’s huge, expert-only, and very hard to paddle into. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are messy with strong winds and poor conditions.

The second week still has a few promising moments. Tuesday the 8th of September is a nice reset with a light offshore breeze and a 4ft to 5ft SW swell. Clean and fun. The real sneaky standout in the second week is Friday the 11th of September. The morning shows a 5ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period, light wind, and a combined energy of 1654 (strong). The afternoon is even cleaner with a gentle offshore wind and a 5ft SSW swell. That’s a beautiful, clean groundswell on a reef – expect long, lined-up waves with easy paddling between sets. It’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s got real promise.

Crowds at Rhino Head can be an issue sometimes, so if you’re heading out on the Friday (4th Sep) or the Monday (31st Aug), get there early. The best bet overall is the Friday the 4th of September morning session – that’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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