The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, let’s talk about The Cutting.

The next 16 days are shaping up to be a real test. There's a powerful southwest groundswell train coming through, but for the most part, it's going to be way too much juice for this spot. The water temp is 57°F, which is about normal for this time of year.

The action starts on Sunday, August 9th. We've got a clean 6ft SW swell with a 13-second period and a solid energy reading (1498). The morning has a cross-off breeze, so it'll be a bit textured but workable. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a full offshore and the swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds. That's a great window for some sneaky, lined-up waves.

Then the hammer drops. From Monday the 10th through to the following Saturday the 16th, this place is going to be a washing machine. We're looking at waves from 10ft all the way up to 15ft, with energy readings climbing from 5976 to a monstrous 21551. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making it lumpy and messy. Tuesday morning on August 11th is the only tease – a 10ft SW swell with a moderate offshore wind and a clean look (3166 energy), but it's just too big for this break. Same story on Wednesday the 12th, with a 13ft swell and a clean offshore wind in the morning, but again, it's way over the top. This is size for the experts only, and even then, conditions look rough. If you see a 15ft swell and onshore winds, that's not surfing, that's just survival.

We finally get some relief on Sunday the 17th. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 8ft with a good 15-second period. Monday morning on August 17th sees clear skies, a light cross-off breeze, and clean conditions. It's still a solid size, but it's a far cry from the chaos of the previous week. That's the standout window for the experienced crew. You'll want to be out there early.

The week of the 18th to the 21st looks a bit more promising for the average punter. The size stays in the 4ft to 7ft range. Tuesday morning on August 18th is a gem: a 7ft SW swell with a long 18-second period, no wind, and clean surf (2714 energy). Wednesday the 19th has moderate offshore winds all day with 7ft and 7ft swells, keeping things clean. Thursday the 20th gets a bit windy with a fresh offshore, but the swell backs off. Friday morning on the 21st looks clean again with a 6ft SW swell.

After that, it gets ugly again. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd brings in onshore winds and lumpy, poor conditions. The swell is still around 7ft to 8ft, but with that wind, it's not worth the paddle. This is a good time to find something else to do.

The final couple of days of the forecast, the 24th, have some small, raw swell around 5ft to 7ft, but the wind is onshore, and it looks a bit bleak.

So, if you're an experienced surfer with a big wave board, keep an eye on Monday morning, August 17th. It's going to be big, but clean. And if you're after something a bit more user-friendly, the mornings of August 18th and 19th look like the best combination of size, wind, and clean conditions. But remember, with these long-period groundswells, The Cutting can get a bit straight, so the tide will be key.

This place is a magnet for swell, but it doesn't take much to make it a washing machine. Strap in, it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

Rusty.

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