Rhino Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.28° S 136.95° E

Issued: 8 pm 04 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rhino Head sea temperature is
15.5° C

Normal for this time of year

Rhino Head surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Rhino Head surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 18s period, SSW swell with 1,880 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 12PM (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 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 20s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Rhino Head in the next 16 days are 1.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Thu 9th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 15s
Best Surf12PM (Thu 9th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 15s
Most Powerful 6AM (Wed 8th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Rhino Head over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty much a write-off. Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th are a no-go with choppy, onshore slop and very poor surf. The swell is there, but the wind has it all messed up. We’re looking at a gap of several days with nothing worth paddling out for.

Things start to show a pulse of life on Wednesday the 8th. It’s still only marginal, so keep your expectations in check. The morning sees a 5ft SSW swell at 18 seconds with a light cross breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 1841. It’s not clean, but there’s some push.

Thursday the 9th afternoon is a real tease. It goes glassy with a 3ft SSW groundswell at 15 seconds, and the energy is still moderate at 545. That’s the first time conditions look clean, but the swell is tiny.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th see cleaner conditions but the wind is either too light or too strong, so the surf quality remains poor or marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 13th is the standout of the whole outlook. The morning has a clean 5ft SSW swell at 14 seconds with a moderate offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is moderate at 1829. But the afternoon is the true gem: a 7ft SSW groundswell at a very long 19 seconds, with that same offshore wind. The combined wave energy jumps to 3698, which is strong. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The long period will make it break beautifully at this reef, with long, clean walls and good gaps between sets. It’s a big setup, so if you’re not confident on a bigger wave, give it a miss.

Tuesday the 14th holds okay but with a fresher offshore breeze, and Wednesday the 15th stays clean with a 6ft SSW swell.

Looking further out, Sunday the 19th is another real humdinger. The morning kicks off with a light breeze and a 5ft SSW groundswell at a very long 17 seconds, giving a strong 2214 energy reading. Then the afternoon turns into a monster: a 8ft SW swell at 17 seconds with a gentle offshore wind, and the energy rockets to 4369 – that’s very strong. This is another session for the experienced crew only. Perfect conditions, but that size and power demands respect.

Monday the 20th morning still has size at 7ft but the wind goes cross-shore, making it a bit bumpy again.

So overall, the best windows are the afternoon of Monday the 13th and the morning and afternoon of Sunday the 19th. The rest is mostly marginal or flat. For the water temps, they’re sitting about average for this time of year, nothing weird.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue night, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Sat
11
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
SSW
15
1.6
SSW
17
1.4
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
16
1.1
SW
15
0.9
SSW
18
1.7
SSW
18
1.5
SSW
16
1.3
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
15
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
14
1.7
SW
14
1.8
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
656
1438
1042
604
330
233
131
436
537
572
1837
1214
832
443
372
917
842
543
407
1099
959
Wind (km/h)
20
ESE
25
ENE
20
ESE
15
ENE
10
ENE
15
ESE
20
E
20
ENE
20
ENE
20
NE
15
NE
10
NE
10
NE
5
NE
0
NW
10
N
15
N
25
NNW
30
NW
40
SW
40
WSW
Wind State
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
4:36AM0.55m
4:28PM0.96m
5:12AM0.60m
4:48PM0.86m
5:55AM0.65m
5:03PM0.75m
6:51AM0.71m
5:04PM0.64m
8:06AM0.78m
9:43AM0.87m
11:10AM0.97m
Low Tide
11:15PM0.25m
9:34AM0.31m
11:30PM0.26m
10:15AM0.36m
11:42PM0.26m
11:07AM0.44m
11:54PM0.26m
12:23PM0.52m
00:07AM0.25m
00:21AM0.23m
00:38AM0.23m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:31
7:31
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
 mm
3
1
1
Temp °C
13
12
11
11
11
11
13
14
14
14
13
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
13
13
Feels °C
9
7
6
7
9
8
10
10
10
10
10
12
11
13
13
12
10
10
10
4
4
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.3
SSW
15
1.6
SSW
17
1.4
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
16
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
15
1.7
SSW
18
1.5
SSW
16
1.3
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
15
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
Energy kJ
656
1438
1042
604
330
233
131
436
537
435
1837
1214
832
443
372
917
842
543
407
200
418
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
20
0.4
SSW
18
0.9
SSW
18
0.2
ENE
3
0.5
SW
19
0.2
W
4
Energy kJ
136
121
572
1
173
1
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
Energy kJ
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SE
4
0.5
E
4
0.5
E
4
0.4
ESE
4
0.3
ESE
3
0.2
ESE
3
0.5
E
3
0.4
E
4
0.4
E
4
0.4
ENE
3
0.4
NE
3
0.3
NE
3
0.3
NE
2
0.3
NNW
2
0.6
NW
4
0.8
WNW
5
1.7
SW
14
1.8
SW
12
Energy kJ
6
7
7
5
2
1
6
4
4
4
4
2
1
1
10
28
1099
959
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
4
5
4
4
3
2
2
3
4
4
5
4
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
3
2
Distance (km)
11
12
11
12
9
11
12
12
12
9
9
7
5
5
0
0
5
5
67
723
743
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula
Rating
(10 max)
4
5
4
4
3
2
2
3
4
4
5
4
4
3
4
4
4
4
1
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia
Rating
(10 max)
4
9
9
7
4
4
8
7
4
5
7
5
5
4
4
4
5
4
4
4
5
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
4
5
9
7
5
5
8
7
5
5
9
7
9
5
7
5
5
4
8
4
5
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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