Inner Cut Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Cut, Nelson Harbour, for the next couple of weeks. Let’s just say it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and you’ll need to be patient. The first real chance for a decent paddle comes late on Saturday the 29th of August, but before that, it’s mostly small and messy.

The first few days are a write-off. From Saturday the 22nd through to Friday the 28th, we’ve got weak, short-period slop with barely any energy – the combined energy is mostly under 100 (weak) and the swell heights are tiny, often under 3 ft. The winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, chopping things up. There’s a glimmer early on Tuesday the 25th with glassy conditions and a 3 ft swell from the NW, but it’s just ordinary, not worth a drive.

Saturday the 29th of August is the standout. The morning looks clean as a whistle with glassy conditions and a 5 ft NNE swell at 8 seconds. The combined energy here is a moderate 315, which is the most push we’ve seen all week. The water temp is about 54°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year, so no worries there. The wind is dead calm, so the Inner Cut (The-Cut-Nelson-Harbour) will be super clean. The swell direction is a little off from the optimum NW, but it’s still a solid offering. The tricky bit is the break is inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets, but the quality will be there. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

There’s a drop-off on Sunday afternoon, and the second week looks grim. From the 30th through to the 6th of September, the swell drops to 0.7 ft to 3 ft, and the energy is pathetic – mostly under 100 (weak). There’s a little bump on the 3rd and 4th of September with some clean offshore winds and 3 ft to 4 ft from the NNW, but it’s still just ordinary. A long-period 17-second groundswell on the 1st is too weak to do anything. Honestly, the best bet is to target the 29th of August morning and then hang the board up for a week.

Rusty.

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