
Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,531 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 15s 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up. Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next few weeks at Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef, good for beginners, and it’s fairly consistent which is a positive. Water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so not a wetsuit drama.
We’ve got a solid run of clean surf kicking off on Tuesday the 14th of July. The afternoon sees a 7ft SSW swell, but it’s a bit of a cross-off wind, so it’s not the cleanest. The real standout comes on Wednesday the 15th. The morning is showing a 5ft SSW groundswell with a long 15-second period, and the wind is a light northerly that’s cross-off. That’s going to be glassy and clean. The combined swell energy is a solid 1001, which is moderate, but the shape will be there. The afternoon gets even better: a 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a 5 km/h offshore wind from the WNW. That’s about as clean as it gets for a beginner-friendly reef. The energy drops to 857, but the quality is top-notch.
Thursday the 16th keeps the good vibes going. The afternoon is the pick with a 5ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and a light northerly cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps back up to 1082, and the waves will be clean and well-shaped. Friday the 17th is still solid, with a 4ft SSW swell and 16-second period in the morning, and a 4ft SW swell in the afternoon. Both sessions have light cross-off winds, keeping it clean, but the energy is a bit lower at 854 and 721.
After Friday, things get a bit more ordinary. Saturday the 18th drops to 3ft with a short, weak 14-second period and a cross wind, making it look pretty average. Then we hit a bit of a dry spell. From Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st, the swell is small and weak, or the wind is too strong. A few days are surfable but nothing to write home about. Wednesday the 22nd sees a bit of a bump in the morning with a 4ft SW swell and a fresh offshore wind, but it’s a short 11-second period, so it’ll be a bit weak and wonky. The energy is 791.
Then from Thursday the 23rd through the end of the period, it’s a write-off. The swell gets bigger, with 6ft and 6ft on the 23rd, but the wind turns onshore from the SE and SSE, just ruining it. The energy is high (1396 on the 23rd morning), but it’s big, choppy, and poor. This is a beach and reef setup, so with that much onshore wind and poor quality, it’d be more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle board. The rest of the days are a mix of small, weak swells or onshore slop. The period from the 23rd to the 29th is a long stretch of bad surf.
The clear winner for the whole forecast is the afternoon of Wednesday the 15th of July. The 5ft SW swell, 14-second period, and light offshore wind from the WNW will make for perfect, clean waves at Rhino Head. The morning of the 15th is a close second with that 5ft groundswell and glassy conditions. Get out there, because it’s a long shot after that.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | 1288 | 1001 | 857 | 711 | 807 | 1081 | 791 | 853 | 720 | 489 | 308 | 290 | 163 | 97 | 252 | 427 | 441 | 466 | 534 | 545 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:20AM0.37m | 2:32PM1.22m | 2:54AM0.45m | 3:09PM1.19m | 3:30AM0.53m | 3:42PM1.12m | 4:06AM0.61m | 4:11PM1.02m | 4:45AM0.67m | 4:36PM0.90m | 5:25AM0.72m | 4:53PM0.77m | 6:08AM0.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:42PM0.16m | 6:52AM0.17m | 10:00PM0.16m | 7:50AM0.15m | 10:20PM0.16m | 8:40AM0.16m | 10:39PM0.17m | 9:28AM0.20m | 10:57PM0.18m | 10:13AM0.27m | 11:14PM0.19m | 10:59AM0.36m | 11:28PM0.20m | 11:50AM0.45m | |||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | |
5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | 5:30 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
2007 | 1288 | 1001 | 857 | 711 | 807 | 1081 | 791 | 853 | 720 | 489 | 308 | 290 | 163 | 92 | 252 | 427 | 441 | 466 | 534 | 545 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 4 | NE 4 | — | — |
406 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 97 | 73 | 15 | 1 | 2 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 22 | SW 19 | ENE 4 | WSW 12 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 15 | 1 | 27 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | NNE 3 | — | NNE 3 | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 3 | NNW 3 | NW 4 | N 2 | NW 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 510 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 67 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
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.











