Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for Rhino Head. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s take it day by day.

The early window is pretty grim, to be honest. There’s surf on the charts for Thursday afternoon but the conditions are marginal and not worth getting excited about. We’re looking at a clean 7ft of southwest swell, but the cross-offshore breeze and questionable tide mean it’s a miss. We’ll see a bit more energy push through Friday morning (2153 combined energy), but again, the light rain and onshore/cross-shore winds keep things messy. The swell is there, around 7ft, but the quality just isn't. We then get a proper pulse of energy on Saturday with a 10ft swell, but that comes with a strong 45 km/h cross-offshore wind, which is going to make it a blown-out mess, not to mention way too big for the beginners. Sunday morning (6th) is the first real standout. It’s glassy, with a light 5 km/h wind, and a clean 6ft of southwest swell with a 13-second period. The energy is moderate (1021) but the conditions are gonna be prime. That’s the one to circle.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are a write-off with onshore winds and weak surf. Tuesday afternoon does show some potential with a clean 5ft from the southwest, but it’s pretty weak energy (1300) and comes with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. It’s a maybe. From Wednesday the 9th through the weekend, we’re looking at a mix of strong winds and messy cross-shore conditions. The swell is there – even showing some solid energy readings like 4057 on Wednesday afternoon – but the onshore wind will kill it. It’s just not going to be any good for paddling. We get a brief window early on Monday the 14th with a 6ft southwest swell and clean conditions, but the 30 km/h wind is going to be a factor. The real gem in the second week is Tuesday morning the 15th. It’s a strong offshore breeze from the northwest (40 km/h), with a clean 5ft of swell. It’ll be clean and lined up, but that wind is going to make it hard to paddle into. That’s one for the more experienced crew.

The long-range stuff, like the 17th and 18th, is looking promising on paper but with plenty of caveats. We see a bigger 7ft southwest groundswell on Thursday the 17th, but those cross-shore winds will make it lumpy. Friday afternoon the 18th looks like the last chance to get something clean, with a 4ft southwest swell and a light cross-offshore breeze, but it’s weak energy. It's a promising end to the run, but a week out, you gotta take it with a grain of salt.

As for the standout, it’s Sunday morning the 6th. That 6ft southwest swell with 13-second period and zero wind is going to be glassy, fun, and have some push to it. The other one to keep an eye on is early Tuesday the 15th, but that's only if you're comfortable paddling into a strong offshore.

Otherwise, it’s a wait-and-see game. The first week is a struggle, but the second half has a couple of windows of opportunity. Mind you, the water temp is about average for the time of year, and with that southwest-sheltered reef, it’ll hold the swell when the winds do their job. It’s not going to be flat for long, that’s for sure.

Take care of yourselves out there.

- Rusty

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