
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 16,026 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 18s. 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 5.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking at The Cutting.
The week kicks off with a bit of a slow start, but once that solid SW groundswell hits, it's game on. The water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Tuesday the 4th is a write-off, honestly. We've got a 10-foot SW swell, but it's coming in with a cross-on SW breeze at 19 mph, making it lumpy and poor. The combined wave energy is strong at 2576, but you wouldn't want to be out there.
Wednesday the 5th sees the swell drop a touch, but it's still a bit of a mess. Morning sessions have a 7-foot SW swell with a 14-second period (moderate groundswell) and a gentle cross-shore breeze – it's marginal, but there might be a few if you're keen. The afternoon cleans up slightly with a light cross-shore breeze and a 6-foot SW swell, but it's still not setting the world on fire. The combined energy is still strong at 1731.
Thursday the 6th, the morning has a clean cross-off breeze from the NW, but the swell is down to 4 feet and the period is a long 16 seconds, which will make it fat and slow at the beach. The combined energy is moderate at 844. The afternoon is a no-go with a cross-on SW breeze making it choppy.
Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 7th is the day to circle. The morning brings a solid 8-foot SW swell with a 15-second period, and a clean cross-off NW breeze. The combined energy is a massive 3652, and the forecast says excellent surf for experienced surfers. Then, Friday afternoon gets even better – the wind drops to glassy conditions from the NW, with the same 8-foot SW swell. That's about as perfect as it gets. This is for the crew who can handle it, though, as 8 feet is expert territory.
Saturday the 8th hangs in there with an 8-foot SW swell and a clean offshore breeze from the north, but the wind is up to 16-19 mph in the morning and afternoon, which makes it harder to manage. The combined energy is still very strong (3396 and 3152). It's a step down from Friday, but still a good option.
Sunday the 9th starts to go downhill. The morning has a 6-foot SW swell, but a near-gale force offshore wind at 31 mph makes it almost impossible to paddle into. The afternoon eases off with 22 mph winds, but it's still a tough session.
The second week is a wild ride, but mostly for the wrong reasons. From Monday the 10th through to Saturday the 15th, we get a massive surge of energy. The swell pumps from 15 feet up to a whopping 21 feet with combined energy readings in the tens of thousands (12593 to 32101). The wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is simply too big for The Cutting. This is strictly for the kamikaze crew, and even then, it's a huge bathtub out there.
Things start to back off a bit from Sunday the 16th, with 10-foot to 12-foot SW swells and clean offshore winds. The combined energy is still very strong (3604 to 6841), but it's still big and powerful. The wind and tide are favorable, but the forecast still says it's too big for this break.
We finish the outlook on Wednesday the 19th with more manageable 7-foot to 8-foot SW swells and clean cross-off breezes, but the combined energy is still strong (1835 to 2148). The sessions are marginal, but it's a sight better than the giant waves earlier in the week.
So, the bottom line: Friday the 7th is your absolute winner – glassy, clean, and a solid 8-foot SW groundswell for the experts. The rest of the first week has some decent windows, but the second week is mostly a case of too much of a good thing.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the NW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, near gales from the NNE by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2214 | 1278 | 1602 | 1150 | 671 | 644 | 1096 | 1358 | 3367 | 2880 | 3974 | 3396 | 3152 | 2263 | 1398 | 897 | 1972 | 12593 | 16026 | 9626 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:38AM0.71m | 2:51PM0.74m | 4:19AM0.71m | 2:36PM0.71m | 5:13AM0.70m | 2:06PM0.73m | 1:30PM0.79m | 1:10PM0.87m | 1:10PM0.93m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:21PM0.20m | 9:10AM0.38m | 9:31PM0.15m | 9:28AM0.49m | 9:44PM0.11m | 9:26AM0.60m | 10:01PM0.08m | 10:25PM0.07m | 11:00PM0.09m | 00:07AM0.15m | ||||||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | — | WSW 16 | SW 15 |
362 | 1278 | 1602 | 1150 | 563 | 644 | 1096 | 1108 | 3367 | 2880 | 3974 | 3396 | 3152 | 2263 | 1398 | 623 | 1855 | — | 14923 | 9626 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | WSW 8 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 20 | — | — | — |
— | 424 | 643 | 565 | 671 | 167 | 211 | 1358 | 41 | 817 | — | — | — | — | 199 | 897 | 1972 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 20 | — | SSE 9 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | WSW 6 | SW 20 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | SSW 24 | WSW 9 | — | — | — |
— | 488 | — | 16 | 26 | 33 | 12 | 77 | 244 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 199 | 56 | 116 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 8 | — | — | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | N 3 | N 4 | NW 9 | W 7 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — |
2214 | 459 | — | — | 16 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 8 | 35 | 152 | 378 | 12593 | 16026 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 145 | 76 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 76 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 35 | 52 | 318 | 318 | 389 | 108 | 80 | 482 |
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











