
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 9,414 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Cutting this week:
The surf forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get a read on this one. The next couple of weeks at The Cutting are gonna be a tale of two stories: big, clean, but mostly too big.
Water temp is pretty standard for this time of year. The swell kicks off Saturday the 12th with a serious SW groundswell, 15-second period, reading 3.0m. Wind's light and from the north, so it's looking clean, but the wave energy is nasty (4874). It is simply predicted to be too big for this break. Sunday 13th the swell drops to about 2.1m in the morning with a fresh 30 km/h offshore breeze, still big. Afternoon gets better at 1.9m with a moderate offshore—decent for the more experienced. Monday 14th we see 1.4m, but that cross-shore wind makes it a chop fest.
Then we hit a dead zone. Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th get blown straight out by a huge 4.5m swell and heavy onshore winds – completely unrideable. That's two total zeros.
Thursday 17th through Saturday 19th, the swell is still pushing 3 to 2.0m and clean, but again, it's just too big for the break according to the models. The energy is pumping (over 2000 to 5000+). It looks beautiful, but the reality is it’s just too much. Real kite-surfing conditions for a couple of days.
The second week – 21st of September through 26th – it’s more of the same. Clean, consistent large swell (between 9 ft and 16 ft), a lot of it with 16-second periods, and clean offshore or glassy wind. The energy figure hits nearly 17000 for the 21st. It’s amazing to look at, but only for boat or the most skilled charger.
The highlight of whole window is the last day: September 27th (Sunday). The swell drops beautifully to 1.6m at 14 seconds. Energy is at a manageable 1179. The wind is dead glass, coming from the north. This morning is the session to plan for: clean, good-sized, and enough energy to hold you in. But it still says for the experienced.
So to wrap: for the vast majority of us, The Cutting is a stretch to avoid until the 27th. For the real guns, there's a big show for a few weeks, but nothing is truly perfect until the end. The standout is on the 27th.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon night, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue morning, calm by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
7262 | 4874 | 3828 | 2792 | 2226 | 1832 | 1273 | 704 | 545 | 249 | 7412 | 9002 | 8402 | 8130 | 7824 | 6303 | 3843 | 2805 | 2591 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:33AM0.67m | 1:01PM0.79m | 1:03AM0.78m | 1:07PM0.77m | 1:33AM0.86m | 1:16PM0.75m | 2:02AM0.90m | 1:26PM0.74m | 2:31AM0.91m | 1:36PM0.73m | 2:59AM0.88m | 1:45PM0.72m | 3:28AM0.83m | ||||||
Low Tide | 6:37AM0.20m | 7:04PM0.26m | 7:08AM0.22m | 7:12PM0.17m | 7:37AM0.25m | 7:26PM0.09m | 8:02AM0.30m | 7:45PM0.03m | 8:25AM0.36m | 8:05PM0.01m | 8:44AM0.42m | 8:25PM0.02m | |||||||
— | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 |
7262 | 4874 | 3828 | 2792 | 2226 | 1832 | 1273 | 704 | 545 | 248 | — | — | 8402 | 8130 | 7824 | 6303 | 3843 | 2805 | 2591 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 57 | 30 | 117 | 246 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | — | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 4 | 11 | — | 10 | 51 | 249 | 7412 | 9002 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 24 | 108 | 566 | 623 | 369 | 280 | 76 | 52 | 24 | 76 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Far West of Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Cutting Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Cutting provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Cutting can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Cutting 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 (The Cutting) 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 The Cutting 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 Far West of Victoria? If you are looking for accommodation near The Cutting, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Far West of Victoria, consider staying in Warrnambool which is 4 km (2 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Portland which is 80 km (50 miles) away










