Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and listen up, it's Rusty here. Let's talk about the next couple of weeks. We've got a single spot on the radar: Rhino Head. It's a sheltered reef break, so it picks up the swell a bit differently. Water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook starts on Monday the 17th, but honestly, it's a bit of a write-off for the first few days. Monday afternoon is a no-go with light rain and a cross-on breeze making things choppy. Tuesday isn't much better. We do finally get a bit of a window late Tuesday afternoon, with a clean surf and a cross-off breeze, but the swell is only 3ft from the SSW, so it's pretty weak. The combined energy is only 458 (moderate) – it's just not got any punch.

Wednesday the 19th is a story of two halves. The morning is glassy clean but the swell is tiny, 3ft, and the energy is a weak 283. The afternoon is where it gets interesting though. A fresh offshore wind from the West kicks in, and the swell jumps to 5ft from the WSW, with the energy hitting 1269 (moderate). The period is a solid 15 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell, but at a reef, that long period should actually set up nicely. The conditions are clean, but the forecast is still a bit marginal, so keep your expectations in check.

Now, Thursday the 20th is when things start to look good. The morning is the standout of the whole run to me. Gentle offshore breeze from the WNW, 5ft of SW swell, and a 16-second period. The combined energy is 1116 (moderate), and the forecast is calling for very good surf conditions. This is the one to circle. The afternoon stays clean but the swell pulls back a bit.

Friday the 21st keeps the quality going. Another morning with very good surf, 5ft from the SW, a 15-second period, and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is a strong 1316 (moderate). The afternoon is a bit bigger at 5ft, but the forecast drops to marginal, so the morning is the call. Saturday the 22nd continues the theme with similar 5ft SW swell and clean conditions, but again, the rating is marginal. It's still surfable, just not quite as perfect.

Sunday the 23rd is a real treat. The afternoon is glassy, 4ft from the SSW, and a 16-second period. The energy is 843 (moderate), and it's just clean. A perfect little session for a beginner to intermediate as the 4ft is a great size for Rhino Head.

After that, the swell drops right off from Monday the 24th through to Wednesday the 26th morning. The waves are tiny, under 3ft, and the energy is weak. It's a real lull. Wednesday afternoon sees a pulse of 6ft from the WSW with a fresh offshore, but the period drops to 13 seconds. The energy is back up to 1258 (moderate), but it's a bit of a short-period windswell chasing the groundswell.

We get another big pulse on Thursday the 27th. The morning is 10ft from the SW with an 11-second period and a cross-off breeze. The energy is a massive 2069 (strong). This is expert territory only – that size on a reef is heavy. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still strong, with a fresh offshore. The period stretches to 14 seconds, so it's a bit better shaped, but it's still a serious session for experienced surfers only.

The end of the run is a mixed bag. Friday the 28th is a write-off with strong cross-shore winds. The weekend of the 29th and 30th looks good again though. Saturday morning the 29th is glassy, 3ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the energy is 455 (weak). It's clean, small, and fun. Sunday the 30th afternoon is also glassy, 4ft from the SW, with a 15-second period and energy of 861 (moderate). Both are good for a relaxed paddle.

Into the first week of September, Monday the 31st has a very long-period 19-second groundswell, 3-4ft from the SSW. That's a significant period, meaning the sets will be powerful but spaced out. The energy is around 1000 (moderate). It's clean, but it's a strange one. Then Tuesday the 1st of September gets blown out by a strong breeze, so that's a skip.

So, the clear standout is Thursday the 20th morning. Gentle offshore, 5ft SW groundswell, very good conditions. That's the one to plan for. The second best? I'd say the glassy Sunday afternoon on the 23rd, or the clean Saturday morning on the 29th. Keep an eye on the big Thursday the 27th if you're an expert, but treat it with respect.

Rusty.

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