Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SW swell with 5,729 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. 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 3.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here, talkin' surf for Rhino Head. This is a sheltered reef spot, and we're lookin' at two weeks of waves, but you gotta sift through the wind to find the good ones. It’s a slow burn, not a firecracker.
On Tuesday, September 1st, forget the morning. The wind is screamin' from the NNW at 22 mph, making it messy. The waves are there at 4ft from the SSW, but it's ugly. The afternoon is better. The wind goes offshore from the WNW at 12 mph and cleans it right up. The swell drops a bit to 3ft with a long 14-second period, so the energy is moderate (592). It’s not big, but it’ll be tidy and good for the beginners who love this break.
Wednesday the 2nd builds. The afternoon is the pick, with a 5ft SW swell and a 15-second period, pushed by a clean offshore breeze from the West at 16 mph. The wave energy is getting stronger (1124). The forecast says it’s “marginal,” but on a reef with offshore wind, that’s a no-brainer. Thursday the 3rd is the peak of the first push, with 7ft from the SW in the morning. The energy is pumping (2587). The wind is cross-off from the SW at 12 mph, keeping it rideable. It’s getting big, so watch your skill level. Friday the 4th stays solid around 7ft to 6ft from the SSW.
The real standout is Thursday the 10th. The morning is pure glass. The wind is just a light 3 mph from the West. The swell is a fun 6ft from the SW with a very long 16-second period. The energy is strong (1412). For a reef, this is the kind of day you call in sick for.
The other absolute winner is Friday the 11th. The wind is a clean offshore breeze from the WNW at 6 mph all day long. The morning has 5ft at a massive 17 seconds, and the afternoon has 5ft at 16 seconds. The energy is moderate but the consistency and quality will be top notch. The surface will be smooth as butter.
After that, the weekend of the 12th and 13th fades. Saturday is still clean, but the swell drops to 5ft and then 4ft. Sunday is small, under 3ft. Then things get ugly. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are blown out by heavy wind, so don't even bother. That’s a couple of days to do something else.
The final chance is Wednesday the 16th. The morning is glassy again, wind from the East at 3 mph. The swell is small, 4ft from the SW at 15 seconds. It’s not the big show, but for a quiet session with clean lines, it’ll be a lovely paddle.
So here’s the takeaway: the biggest, cleanest surf falls on September 10th (Thursday) with glassy 6ft waves, and the best all-day groomer is September 11th (Friday) with offshore winds and 5ft clean lines. The water is about 60°F, which is normal for this time of year. Don’t waste your energy on the blown-out days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Tue morning, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
641 | 268 | 537 | 933 | 1124 | 834 | 1657 | 1581 | 1785 | 1833 | 1634 | 1042 | 2144 | 2338 | 2037 | 1237 | 721 | 276 | 261 | 715 | 5729 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross |
High Tide | 3:39PM0.69m | 4:12AM0.91m | 3:51PM0.59m | 4:43AM0.92m | 3:53PM0.51m | 5:20AM0.90m | 3:32PM0.45m | 6:08AM0.84m | 7:40AM0.76m | 11:29AM0.78m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:57AM0.12m | 9:37PM0.04m | 10:33AM0.18m | 9:47PM0.02m | 11:12AM0.26m | 9:58PM0.00m | 12:03PM0.37m | 10:08PM0.00m | 10:11PM0.02m | 9:54PM0.06m | 9:04PM0.10m | ||||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — |
641 | 268 | 537 | 933 | 1124 | 834 | 930 | 1581 | 1785 | 1833 | 1634 | 1042 | 169 | 2338 | 2037 | 1237 | 721 | 276 | 261 | 715 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 20 | SW 18 | WSW 5 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 19 | — | NNW 5 | E 4 | SW 21 | SW 20 | — |
38 | 252 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 95 | — | 2 | 3 | 18 | 107 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | SW 21 | — |
— | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 18 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | WNW 6 | — | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | SW 14 | — | — | NNE 3 | NNW 4 | W 5 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | — | NE 3 | ENE 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | SW 19 |
29 | 33 | — | 19 | 20 | 144 | 1657 | — | — | 1 | 11 | 54 | 2144 | 1099 | — | 4 | 13 | 18 | 7 | — | 5729 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 721 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 535 | 721 | 510 | 30 | 5 | 155 | 5 | 751 | 1197 | 1182 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 224 | 28 | 327 |
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.











