
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 18s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 20,130 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 20s. 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 6.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 21ft (6.5m) 16s |
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 coming down the line for The Cutting.
We've got a solid run of southwest groundswell on the way, but the problem is, for a lot of this forecast, it's going to be way too much for most of us. The first good sign comes on Friday morning, August 7th. We're looking at a clean 10ft SW swell, with a period of 15 seconds, and light north winds making it glassy. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year. The combined energy is a very strong 3824, so this is a powerful swell. But the catch is, at 10ft, this is strictly for experienced surfers only. The Cutting is exposed, so that size will be packing a punch.
The absolute standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is Friday afternoon, August 7th. The wind drops to nothing – glassy conditions – and the swell settles to a still-chunky 8ft from the SW, with that lovely 15-second period. The wave energy is 3579, which is still very strong. This is the window for the experienced crew. It's going to be clean, powerful, and lined up. The crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so get on it early.
From Saturday, August 8th, things get messy. The wind swings onshore or gets too strong, and the swell stays big. We have a few days of marginal conditions, with a lot of cross-off or cross-onshore winds. Sunday the 9th is a write-off with light rain and strong breezes.
Monday, August 10th, is a no-go zone. We're looking at a 16ft to 15ft WSW swell with near gale-force cross-onshore winds (22-31 mph). The wave energy is astronomical (15142). This is not surfable. It's more of a kite-surfing scenario if anything.
The pattern of big, lumpy, and blown-out continues through the middle of the week. Wednesday, August 12th, has a 10ft SW swell but with a 34 mph cross-onshore wind. Not good.
Look, after that first Friday, the next real glimmer doesn't come until the following week. We have a long gap of poor to dangerous conditions. The next best bet is the morning of Monday, August 17th. The swell drops to a more manageable 8ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and light WNW winds give us clean conditions. The wave energy is still very strong at 2779. This is another one for the experienced surfers, but it'll be a lot cleaner than the junk we've been dealing with.
Then Tuesday, August 18th, looks good. The morning has a 8ft WSW swell, and the afternoon sees it drop to 7ft, with light offshore winds. The energy is moderate to strong (3249). This is shaping up to be a solid, clean day for the more experienced.
The end of the forecast window, around Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th, has some promise but it's far out. The Thursday morning has a 8ft WSW swell, but with a fresh 22 mph offshore wind, so it'll be clean but powerful. The afternoon of the 20th sees an 12ft swell with a 17-second period, so that's a very long-period groundswell that will be best for the experienced.
So, the clear winner is Friday afternoon, August 7th. Glassy, solid 8ft SW groundswell, and the only real window of perfection in the near term. If you're an expert, that’s your session. The other highlight is the Tuesday, August 18th, for a cleaner, slightly smaller option.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Mon night, near gales from the WSW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3539 | 2717 | 3715 | 2839 | 2525 | 1972 | 1116 | 823 | 5055 | 15142 | 5310 | 7184 | 3468 | 2368 | 726 | 4822 | 10955 | 11287 | 16873 | 12049 | 6497 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:06PM0.73m | 1:30PM0.79m | 1:10PM0.87m | 1:10PM0.93m | 1:19PM0.97m | 1:29PM0.97m | 1:37PM0.94m | 00:01AM0.50m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:01PM0.08m | 10:25PM0.07m | 11:00PM0.09m | 00:07AM0.15m | 4:13AM0.16m | 5:32AM0.12m | 8:37PM0.44m | ||||||||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | -2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 20 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
3539 | 2717 | 3715 | 2839 | 2525 | 1972 | 1116 | 613 | 5055 | — | 4662 | 7184 | 3468 | 2368 | 574 | 4822 | 2580 | 5124 | 16873 | 12049 | 6497 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SW 19 | S 6 | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
41 | 817 | 11 | — | — | — | 199 | 823 | 1387 | — | — | — | — | — | 325 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | E 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
244 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 726 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | NNE 4 | N 4 | W 8 | WSW 18 | WSW 12 | — | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | WSW 10 | WSW 16 | SW 13 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 18 | 9 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 877 | 15142 | 5310 | — | 50 | 15 | 43 | 3178 | 10955 | 11287 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 35 | 130 | 139 | 17 | 0 | 275 | 605 | 24 | 35 | 482 | 547 | 547 | 489 | 650 | 158 | 145 | 24 |
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











