Rhino Head Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.28° S 136.95° E

Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 2 am 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Rhino Head sea temperature is
14.9° C
0.3° 

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 11 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 17s period, SW swell with 3,148 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 (Aug 13) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m 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 2.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (ACST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 13th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 15s
Best Surf 3AM (Fri 14th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 17s
Most Powerful12PM (Wed 12th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on with the surf. Right now, there’s nothing to get excited about at Rhino Head. We’ve got a wait on our hands, but things start to shape up as we head into the back half of the week.

The first real chance to get wet comes Thursday, August 14th. The swell drops a touch from the last couple of days, settling around 6.2 ft from the SSW. The period is a solid 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell – long lines, good energy, and those long waits between sets. The wind is light out of the SW, cross-off, and that combo is what we’re after. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about normal for this time of year. That morning and afternoon both look clean and surfable. Even though the combined swell energy is still strong for a reef break setup, this is the standout window for the next week. Rhino Head is a sheltered reef, and the optimum direction from the SW matches up perfectly. Expect the lineup to be manageable, but fair warning, it can get crowded sometimes here.

Friday, August 15th, is a write-off. The wind swings onshore from the ESE at 9-12 mph, the swell stays similar, but the quality goes straight out the window. That pattern sticks with us through Monday the 18th – onshore easterly winds, dropping swell heights down to 2.3 ft to 3.6 ft, and a lot of poor conditions. We’re talking days of flat, choppy nothingness.

Things get interesting again Thursday, August 21st, but it’s a marginal window. We get a brief pulse of glassy offshore wind from the NW in the morning at 6 mph, with a 2.0 ft SW swell at 14 seconds. The energy is really weak here, and the waves are barely there. The afternoon picks up a little with 3.0 ft from SW at 15 seconds, but the wind swings cross-off. It’s surfable, but ordinary.

Now, looking way ahead to the last week of August, there’s a promising call for Tuesday the 25th. The afternoon looks like our best long-range call. The wind cranks offshore from the WNW at 19 mph – fresh and clean. Swell is 5.2 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is moderate to strong, but with that gusty offshore it’s going to be tricky to paddle into. Not a beginner spot that day. Then Wednesday the 26th holds similar clean but bumpy conditions with 4.3-4.9 ft SW swells. Come Thursday the 27th, we get a big bump: a 7.9 ft SW swell at 15 seconds, with a howling 28 mph offshore. The combined energy jumps to 3471 – strong. The models say clean, but that wind is going to be an absolute battle to paddle against. For experts only.

In the second week, the windows tighten up. But that Thursday the 14th is your best bet – reliable, clean, and good energy.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed morning, light winds from the SW by Fri morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
3
2
2
3
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
SW
17
2.3
SW
17
2.2
SW
16
2
SSW
16
1.9
SW
15
2
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
16
1.9
SSW
16
1.7
SSW
16
1.7
SSW
16
1.6
SSW
16
1.3
SSW
15
1.2
SW
14
1.2
SSW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
16
1.2
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1.1
SW
17
0.9
SSW
16
0.7
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3052
2912
2349
2007
1730
1928
1832
1809
1536
1339
1241
720
614
545
469
573
711
489
687
475
258
Wind (km/h)
30
WSW
30
WSW
25
WSW
15
WSW
20
W
15
WSW
10
SW
10
SW
10
ESE
15
ESE
20
ESE
20
ESE
20
ESE
20
ESE
15
E
20
E
20
E
20
NE
25
NNE
20
N
5
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
glassy
High Tide
1:53PM1.08m
2:26AM0.46m
2:27PM1.08m
2:49AM0.57m
2:57PM1.03m
3:17AM0.67m
3:23PM0.96m
3:45AM0.75m
3:46PM0.86m
4:14AM0.81m
4:04PM0.76m
4:43AM0.83m
4:16PM0.66m
Low Tide
9:14PM0.12m
7:25AM0.15m
9:24PM0.11m
8:14AM0.11m
9:36PM0.09m
8:57AM0.11m
9:50PM0.09m
9:36AM0.13m
10:03PM0.08m
10:14AM0.18m
10:15PM0.08m
10:49AM0.25m
10:25PM0.09m
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:07
7:05
7:05
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:46
5:47
5:49
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:52
 mm
1
Temp °C
14
14
14
15
15
14
14
15
14
13
13
13
12
12
14
16
16
16
17
18
17
Feels °C
8
8
10
11
12
10
12
12
11
9
9
8
7
7
10
11
11
12
11
13
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Rhino Head:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rhino Head surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest