
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 13,585 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 6.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 20ft (6.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking for The Cutting over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we've got a big, powerful SW groundswell rolling in on Thursday morning, pumping at a solid 10ft. The period is a meaty 13 seconds, so there's plenty of push behind it, and the combined energy is strong at 3055. But here's the kicker—that's just too much water for this break. It's an exposed spot, but the swell is predicted to be too big, so I'd give it a miss. Thursday afternoon isn't any better, with the wind turning cross-onshore and the size dropping only a touch to 8ft. Not the one.
Now, Friday morning, 31st of July, things start to look a little more interesting. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the SW, and we get a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the NW at just 6 mph. That's a window for the experienced crew. The period holds at 12 seconds, and the energy is still solid at 1350. It's a good, clean option for those who know what they're doing.
But the real standout of this whole forecast? That's Saturday, 1st of August. Clear skies, a light offshore wind from the north at 9 mph, and a solid 8ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is up there at 3269. This is proper groundswell, and at The Cutting, with that long period, it should set up some good lines. The wind is offshore, meaning it'll be glassy and clean. This is the morning to be in the water. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze, but the swell jumps back up to 10ft, which is again pushing the limits for this spot.
Sunday morning, 2nd of August, has potential for the brave. We've got a fresh 19 mph offshore wind from the north, and a 8ft SW swell at a 16-second period. The energy is high at 3579, but that wind is strong. It'll be clean, but a bit of a battle to get out. Only for the experienced, and even then, it's a handful.
From Monday, 3rd of August, through to Wednesday afternoon, 5th of August, it turns to absolute rubbish. The wind swings onshore, the swell gets messy, and the conditions are just poor. The Monday afternoon session gets a massive 20ft of lumpy, cross-onshore junk with energy over 11000 – leave that to the kites, not the paddle crew. A few days of nothing much here.
We get a brief glimmer on Thursday morning, 6th of August. The wind goes cross-offshore again, and a 8ft SW swell at 16 seconds rolls in with clean conditions. The energy is strong at 2877. A decent option for the experienced, but the afternoon sees the swell jump back to 10ft with a cross-onshore breeze, so keep it to the morning.
Friday, 7th of August, and into the weekend is more of the same story: the swell is just too big for The Cutting. We're seeing 13ft to 15ft swells with insane energy values in the 7000 to 9800 range. It's a no-go for paddle surfing unless you're a absolute nutter, but the wind is light for some of it.
The following week, from the 8th of August onwards, is a mixed bag. The swell drops back into the 7ft to 8ft range, but the wind is generally cross-offshore or offshore, keeping things clean. The issue is the guidance suggests marginal or questionable tide conditions for most of these sessions. There's a solid-looking window on Monday morning, 10th of August, with a 13ft swell from the WSW and a 12 mph offshore wind, but again, that size is just too big for this break. The long-range standouts like Thursday morning, 13th of August, have a 10ft SW swell at 17 seconds with a gentle offshore, but the energy is very high at 5746, pointing to conditions that are cleaner, but still for experts only. The same goes for Friday, 14th of August, with a 13ft swell and energy over 10000.
So, bottom line: The surf window here is very narrow. Your best bet by a long shot is Saturday morning, 1st of August. Get there early for the clean, offshore conditions and that beautiful SW groundswell. Friday morning, 31st of July, is the next best option, but it's a step down. After that, it's a case of watching for a clean window amongst the too-big or too-marginal days. There's a lot of power in the ocean for the next two weeks, but it's not all going to be friendly to the line-up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
4178 | 2692 | 1886 | 1450 | 1200 | 1111 | 925 | 3269 | 4863 | 5200 | 3579 | 3365 | 3826 | 2390 | 11493 | 3887 | 2598 | 1590 | 1811 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:00AM0.43m | 1:48PM0.97m | 00:41AM0.49m | 2:05PM0.97m | 1:17AM0.55m | 2:21PM0.95m | 1:52AM0.60m | 2:36PM0.91m | 2:26AM0.65m | 2:47PM0.85m | 3:01AM0.69m | 2:54PM0.79m | 3:38AM0.71m | ||||||
Low Tide | 6:05AM0.13m | 8:47PM0.38m | 6:41AM0.11m | 8:46PM0.36m | 7:14AM0.12m | 8:52PM0.32m | 7:46AM0.15m | 9:01PM0.28m | 8:16AM0.20m | 9:11PM0.24m | 8:44AM0.28m | 9:21PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 15 | — | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
4178 | 2692 | 1886 | 1450 | 1200 | 1111 | 925 | 3269 | 4863 | 5200 | 3579 | 3365 | 3066 | 2390 | — | 439 | 326 | 276 | 1811 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 22 | SSW 21 |
730 | 363 | 239 | 92 | 33 | 388 | 559 | — | — | — | — | — | 383 | — | — | 319 | 361 | 181 | 741 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 23 | SW 21 | S 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 |
— | — | — | 21 | 117 | 28 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | N 4 | NNW 5 | WSW 14 | WSW 9 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 38 | 55 | 3826 | 1692 | 11493 | 3887 | 2598 | 1590 | 292 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 128 | 24 | 76 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 80 | 24 | 145 | 566 | 108 | 346 | 566 | 24 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Far West of Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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










