
Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,538 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period with SW 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 16s period. 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 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cooking at Rhino Head.
The next couple of days are a bit of a tease – we get some solid swell but the wind is just not playing ball. The water temp is sitting at about 60°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Kicking off Thursday the 9th, we’ve got some clean, glassy lines rolling in from the SSW at 3ft with a stupid-long 18 second period. It’s a groundswell with decent energy (783) and a light cross-off wind. This is a genuine standout for the early period – clean, manageable, and a proper long-period push. It’s a reef, exposed but sheltered from this swell direction, so it’ll be holding shape nicely. Just a heads-up, crowds are sometimes a thing here.
Friday the 10th is a bit more messed up. The swell bumps up a touch to 4ft but the wind picks up to a moderate breeze from the NNW and there’s rain showers around. It’s surfable but not special, and the energy drops off through the afternoon.
Saturday the 11th gets ugly. Swell jumps to 7ft in the morning and 10ft by the afternoon, but it’s all short-period windswell (8-10 seconds) with a strong breeze turning the ocean into a mess. That 10ft afternoon has a ton of energy (1552) but the wind is pushing it sideways. Even with offshore wind in the morning, the period is too short and the power is all over the place. This is expert-only if anything, and honestly, with those conditions, a kite surfer might be having more fun than a paddle surfer.
Sunday the 12th looks a little more promising but still challenging. Morning sees a clean 7ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period and a fresh offshore wind. The energy is solid (1708). It’s clean but that 7ft is pushing into the zone where it’s not for beginners. The afternoon holds similar but with a bit less size.
Monday the 13th is a big energy day – 7ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period in the morning, energy hitting 3432. The wind is strong offshore, so it’s clean, but that paddle out is going to be a beast. This is proper expert territory; the power is huge, long-period, and the wind is strong enough to make paddling out a battle.
Tuesday the 14th keeps the big numbers rolling. A 8ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period and moderate cross-off wind. Energy is massive (3868). It’s a heavy, powerful day. The crowd might be thin given the size, but if you can handle it, the wave quality should be there. The afternoon goes a bit cross-shore, so morning is the pick.
Wednesday the 15th is my hidden gem for the long range. The swell drops back to 5-5ft from the SSW with a 15-second period. The morning has a light cross breeze, but the afternoon is absolutely glassy – no wind, zero chop. Energy is moderate (898-1076). This is a beautiful, clean window for a reef break that likes a SW swell. If you can sneak a session Wednesday afternoon, do it.
After that, from Thursday the 16th well into the following week, the size drops off and the wind turns onshore or too strong. You get some small, clean waves on the 16th afternoon – glassy 3ft – but it’s weak (321 energy) and not worth a dedicated trip. There are some days later like Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd with decent 3-5ft SW swell and offshore winds, but the energy is low and the consistency is average. The period is good (12-17 seconds) but it just doesn’t have the punch to be a standout.
Keep your eyes on Thursday 9th for a clean cruiser session, and if you want a real challenge and have the skills, Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th are for the big wave crew. Wednesday 15th afternoon is the quiet, glassy winner.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Mon morning, calm by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thu 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 8 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
486 | 906 | 773 | 566 | 412 | 452 | 1552 | 1985 | 1708 | 1210 | 1464 | 2120 | 1602 | 3146 | 3315 | 2663 | 1721 | 1069 | 893 | 614 | 352 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:43AM0.87m | 11:10AM0.97m | 12:14PM1.07m | 1:22AM0.26m | 1:06PM1.16m | 1:50AM0.30m | 1:51PM1.21m | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:21AM0.23m | 00:38AM0.23m | 1:01AM0.23m | 9:31PM0.21m | 3:57AM0.24m | 9:29PM0.18m | 5:42AM0.21m | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | ||||||||||
— | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | |
5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | 5:28 | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 |
486 | 906 | 773 | 566 | 412 | 134 | — | — | — | 1210 | 1464 | 2120 | 1602 | 3146 | 3315 | 2663 | 1721 | 1069 | 893 | 614 | 352 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | SSW 18 | SSW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
297 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 280 | 149 | 15 | 126 | 553 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 2 | NW 4 | W 5 | WSW 8 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 13 | WSW 5 | W 5 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 6 | — | W 9 | — | SE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | E 4 |
— | — | 1 | 7 | 40 | 452 | 1552 | 1985 | 1708 | 56 | 49 | 1163 | 874 | 50 | — | 150 | — | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 723 | 1033 | 1190 | 1189 | 1182 | 535 | 1028 | 1028 | 1233 | 739 | 44 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Yorke Peninsula | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











