Rhino Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. We’ve only got one spot to look at for the next 16 days: Rhino Head. It’s a sheltered reef that’s fairly consistent, so we’re not completely skunked, but we’ve got a real mixed bag of wind and swell. The first real standout is a bit of a wait, but when it comes, it’ll be special.

Wednesday the 26th kicks off with a clean 4ft SW swell, 13-second period, and light offshore WNW wind. The combined energy is moderate at 475 – a solid start. The water temp is about average for this time of year. It’s a good one for the morning, but the afternoon gets a bit skinnier with a 3ft swell and a stronger offshore breeze – still clean, but less power.

Thursday the 27th morning is a write-off with messy cross-off wind, but the afternoon is a real sleeper: 3ft of SW swell, but with a very long 19-second period. That’s groundswell, and it’s pumping energy into the reef – 1074 combined energy. The wind is cross-off and gentle, so it’ll be clean. For a small wave, that’s a sweet little session.

Friday the 28th morning gets a bit of a bump in size to 5ft, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s a bit lumpy. The afternoon though – glassy conditions, 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, and 1115 energy. That’s a real treat. The reef will be working, and it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is one of the best windows in the whole run.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are a total dud – onshore winds, small swell, poor conditions. A full two days of nothing worth paddling for.

Monday the 31st sees a bigger 5ft SSW swell roll in, 18-second period, and 1472 energy – strong wave energy. The wind is cross, then cross-off in the afternoon. It’s a bit chunky, but the afternoon session with 5ft and clean cross-off wind is worth a look. Not a standout, but solid.

Tuesday the 1st of September is a write-off with a 25 mph cross-off wind – that’s just a mess. Wednesday the 2nd is small and clean but not exciting. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th build slowly.

Friday the 4th of September – now we’re talking. Morning has 6ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and 1238 energy, with a gentle offshore NW wind. The afternoon is the same, 6ft, clean offshore. This is a proper groundswell, and the reef will handle it beautifully. The period is long enough to give you real push, but not too long to be awkward. The combined energy is strong at 1190-1238. This is the absolute best on offer – a standout.

Saturday the 5th of September backs it up with 5ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and 1132 energy, with a moderate offshore WNW wind. Still clean, still powerful. The morning is the pick.

Sunday the 6th starts to fall apart with a strong cross-shore wind, and Monday the 7th is just windy and unsurfable. That’s a few days of poor conditions.

Tuesday the 8th of September afternoon flips again – 5ft SSW swell, 16-second period, 1338 energy, and a clean offshore W wind. That’s another good one. Wednesday the 9th of September morning is the big one: 6ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and 1892 energy – very strong wave energy. The wind is offshore and moderate. This is a beast of a groundswell, and Rhino Head will be firing. The long period means longer lulls, but when the sets come, they’ll be thick and lined up. This is the other standout of the whole run.

Thursday the 10th of September morning is still solid with 4ft and clean cross-off wind, but a step down from the previous day.

So, if you’re looking for the two best days, lock in Friday the 4th of September and Wednesday the 9th of September. Both have solid size, clean offshore wind, and strong energy. The rest of the period has some good sessions, but those two are the ones to circle. The long gaps around the 29th-30th and the 6th-7th are frustrating, but that’s the way it goes.

Rusty.

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