Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,610 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 15s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.
We’ve got a solid window of swell coming through for Rhino Head, but it’s not a straight shot of perfection. The week kicks off with some real energy. Tuesday morning the 14th sees a solid 7ft SSW swell, period hanging around 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, heaps of push behind it. The combined energy is pumping at 2975, so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind is a cross-off from the SW, so it’ll be clean but a bit side-on. This is a reef break, so that long period won’t be a problem; it’ll wrap in nicely. It’s a little on the bigger side for a beginner spot, but for the average surfer, it’s game on. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird.
Wednesday the 15th is the real standout. Morning session has a smaller 5ft swell, still from the SSW, but the wind swings to a light N at 3 mph, keeping it clean. The real gem is the afternoon: glassy conditions, zero wind, and a 5ft SW swell. That’s as clean as it gets. The energy is still there at 857, and it’s a beautiful, manageable size. Crowds are a possibility here sometimes, so get out early or late if you can.
The swell starts to fade from Thursday the 16th through the weekend, dropping from 5ft down to under 3ft by Saturday the 18th. The wind stays mostly cross or cross-off, so it’ll stay rideable but the energy drops off a cliff. By Saturday afternoon, the combined energy is only 208, and it’s basically a knee-high slosh. Sunday the 19th is tiny, with a 1ft morning, not worth paddling out.
We get a bit of a pulse again on Monday the 20th, with the swell bumping back up to 5ft from the SW, and the energy climbs back over 1000. The wind is a moderate cross-off, so it’s clean but a bit breezy. That holds through Tuesday the 21st, but the energy drops again. After that, the forecast gets patchy. Wednesday the 22nd gets blown out by a 19 mph NNE wind, and the rest of the week is a write-off with onshore winds and messy conditions.
The real kicker in the long-range is Wednesday the 29th. A new SSW swell arrives, 4ft but with a very long period of 18 seconds. The energy jumps back up to 1182. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the N, so it’ll be clean. That’s a standout for the second week, but it’s nearly two weeks out, so don’t book the time off just yet. The long period will make it wall up nicely at this reef, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.
For the best of the bunch, grab Wednesday the 15th afternoon. Glassy, 5ft, and that SW groundswell will have some shape. Monday the 20th is a solid backup if you miss it.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon night, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Mon night, calm by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Mon 20 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3457 | 2599 | 2007 | 1288 | 1014 | 857 | 701 | 807 | 933 | 780 | 1043 | 843 | 489 | 308 | 208 | 163 | 149 | 522 | 643 | 1028 | 992 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:50AM0.30m | 1:51PM1.21m | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | 3:09PM1.19m | 3:30AM0.53m | 3:42PM1.12m | 4:06AM0.61m | 4:11PM1.02m | 4:45AM0.67m | 4:36PM0.90m | 5:25AM0.72m | 4:53PM0.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:42AM0.21m | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | 10:20PM0.16m | 8:40AM0.16m | 10:39PM0.17m | 9:28AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.18m | 10:13AM0.27m | 11:14PM0.19m | 10:59AM0.36m | ||||||||
 |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | | | |
 | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — |
 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 3457 | 2599 | 2007 | 1288 | 1014 | 857 | 701 | 807 | 933 | 780 | 1043 | 843 | 489 | 308 | 208 | 163 | 90 | 522 | 643 | 1028 | 992 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | WNW 7 | ENE 4 | SW 22 | SSW 20 | W 5 | W 8 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 376 | 406 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | 18 | 149 | 2 | 32 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | SW 15 | — | WSW 12 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 56 | — | 55 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | — | NE 3 | — | — | NE 4 | NNW 3 | N 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | — |
| kJ | 1579 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 723 | 724 | 268 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 83 | 83 | 7 | 83 | 83 | 7 | 0 |
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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