Surf Forecasts:
Rhino Head surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 7,691 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s 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 06) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. 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 3.5m 18s 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 1.6m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (ACST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rhino Head over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Rhino Head over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, straight up, the next few days are pretty average. We’ve got a bit of swell on the way but the wind is making things messy for the most part. The real standout is shaping up for Monday, August 10th.
We kick off Thursday the 6th with some small 3 ft to 3.6 ft SSW groundswell, but the water’s a touch cool at 58.5°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year. Thursday morning is a write-off with a cross-shore wind making it choppy. Thursday afternoon cleans up a bit, and you might snag a wave, but it’s not setting the world on fire.
Friday the 7th sees the swell bump up to 5.6-5.9 ft from the SW, but the wind cranks up from the NNE at 16 mph, creating a messy cross-chop. It’s a no-go for a decent paddle.
Saturday the 8th is more of the same – solid 4.3-4.9 ft SSW/SW swell, but strong northerly winds, 16-22 mph, keep it blown out. The combined energy is moderate, but the conditions just aren’t there.
Sunday the 9th gets bigger, with 7.5-8.2 ft SW swell, but we’re talking strong to near-gale force winds. That’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one. The wave energy is strong, but the wind is just too much.
Now, Monday the 10th of August is where we get a real window. The swell drops a touch to 7.5 ft from the SW, but the wind swings to the WNW at 12 mph, going offshore. This is the call. The conditions are clean, with moderate offshore wind, and the wave energy is strong. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The swell direction (SW) matches the optimum for Rhino Head, and with that offshore flow, it’ll be a real treat.
Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are a mess again with strong winds and messy seas, despite the swell hanging around 4.3-11.5 ft.
Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th look interesting but are marginal. The swell is still solid (5.6-9.8 ft SSW/SW) with moderate wind, but the forecasts are iffy. Keep an eye on it.
After that, there’s a bit of a lull. The weekend of the 16th-17th has small, clean surf with glassy conditions on Sunday the 16th afternoon, but the swell is tiny (3.6 ft). Tuesday the 18th also looks glassy with small 3-4.3 ft swell, which could be fun on a longboard.
Looking way out, Thursday the 20th of August shows a big 7.9-8.2 ft SW groundswell with a very long 20-second period. That’s a lot of energy, but the wind is a strong cross-off at 25-31 mph, so it’s more for the brave or the kite crew.
So, bottom line: Monday the 10th is your day. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the N by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Sun morning, light winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 441 | 610 | 1133 | 1412 | 1305 | 964 | 811 | 936 | 658 | 2663 | 3227 | 6973 | 4533 | 2804 | 1697 | 776 | 572 | 4648 | 7098 | 7036 | 6108 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:19PM0.55m | 6:55AM0.84m | 8:33AM0.83m | 11:06AM0.88m | 12:25PM0.97m | 2:55AM0.27m | 1:14PM1.05m | 2:11AM0.35m | 1:53PM1.08m | 2:26AM0.46m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 12:14PM0.44m | 11:00PM0.11m | 11:08PM0.10m | 11:05PM0.12m | 10:18PM0.14m | 9:24PM0.14m | 4:16AM0.27m | 9:11PM0.13m | 6:22AM0.21m | 9:14PM0.12m | |||||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | |  | | | | |  | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — |
 | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | NE 5 | SW 21 | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — |
| kJ | 441 | 610 | 1133 | 1412 | 1305 | 964 | 811 | 936 | 658 | 1 | 151 | — | 1240 | 2804 | 1697 | 776 | 572 | 1976 | 1591 | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | — | — | — | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 24 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | 27 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 499 | 55 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 6 | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 | NE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 5 | — | N 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 5 | N 4 | NNW 4 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | — | NW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
| kJ | — | 8 | — | 2 | 6 | 35 | 27 | 5 | 29 | 2663 | 3227 | 6973 | 4533 | — | 31 | 106 | 140 | 4648 | 7098 | 7036 | 6108 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 44 | 0 | 5 | 83 | 67 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 468 | 584 | 937 | 535 | 0 | 155 | 721 | 721 | 154 | 723 | 1180 | 740 |
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.
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