The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking.

The short version? We’ve got a lot of big, powerful swell on the way, but for The Cutting, a lot of it is going to be just too much to handle. The windows of good, clean, rideable surf are pretty narrow over the next sixteen days, so you’ve got to pick your moments.

The waters are sitting around 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The real standout, and the one I’d circle on the calendar, is Saturday the 19th of September. That afternoon, we’ve got a clean 8ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period (861 energy). The wind is a light offshore breeze from the NW. That’s the recipe for smooth, lined-up waves. This is the pick of the forecast. It’s still got some size to it, so it’s more for experienced surfers.

Before that, Friday the 18th of September is worth a look, too. The morning is a bit on the smaller side at 6ft from the SSW, but with a very long 17-second period and a clean NW cross-offshore wind (3493 energy). Nicely shaped but those long-period swells might wall up a bit at this spot. The afternoon steps up to 8ft from the SW, still clean, still good energy (3573).

Now, the rest... from the 14th to the 16th, it's messy with onshore winds and a lot of power. The 17th is clean but the swell is predicted to be too big for the break. The 20th has a strong and messy cross-shore wind. Then we get into another big, clean swell pulse from the 21st to the 22nd of September, around 12ft to 13ft from the SW, with offshores and glassy conditions—but again, it’s simply too big for The Cutting. That’s expert-only territory if you try it, and even then it’s dicey.

After that, the 23rd of September morning brings it back into a more manageable 6ft SSW groundswell with a light offshore, which should be excellent for experienced surfers (1274 energy). The 24th of September morning drops right down to 3ft from the SSW with a very long 17-second period, clean and offshore. It’ll be super weak and inconsistent, but for a longboard on a point break, that’s a dream. The 29th of September morning looks like another solid, clean option: 7ft from the SW with a 17-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze from the NE (4817 energy), but come the afternoon it’s back up to 10ft and too big.

So, there you have it. It’s not a complete write-off, but you need to watch the size. The 19th is your best bet, then pick your windows around the 18th, the 23rd, and the 29th morning. The rest is either messy or too thumping for this spot.

Rusty.

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