
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 20,072 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. 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 6.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) 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 2.1m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 21ft (6.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for The Cutting.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a serious pulse of energy heading our way, but it’s going to be a bit of a wild ride. The water temp is sitting right around 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so nothing surprising there.
We’re starting out on Saturday the 25th of July, and honestly, it’s a rough start. There’s a solid 13ft SW swell running with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is massive at 4823 (moderate to strong). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the WSW at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and messy. The afternoon cleans up a touch with the wind going cross, but the swell is still too big for this break at 12ft. Sunday the 26th sees the swell drop to 8ft, but the wind stays cross, leaving it marginal and a bit choppy.
Now, Monday the 27th is where things start looking interesting. The wind swings offshore from the north, blowing at 25 km/h, and the swell is a solid 7ft from the SW with an 11-second period. The energy is moderate at 1257, and conditions are clean. This is the kind of day that’s excellent for experienced surfers, but the 7ft is getting up there, so it’s not for beginners. The afternoon stays offshore at 30 km/h, with a 7ft, 13-second groundswell that will have some real push.
Tuesday the 28th is a mixed bag. The morning has a cross-offshore wind from the NW, 8ft SW swell, but the wind picks up to 30 km/h, making it a bit tricky. The afternoon is a complete write-off with a howling 40 km/h cross-wind and a 13ft, 15-second swell, creating a massive, messy cross-chop. Wednesday the 29th is a hard pass, with strong onshore winds and a 16ft SW swell, completely blown out and lumpy. Thursday the 30th is still onshore and choppy, with 8ft swell.
The first true standout is Friday the 31st of July. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the WNW at just 10 km/h, and the swell is a clean 7ft from the SW, 12-second period. The energy is moderate at 1901, and the conditions are excellent. It’s a classic, clean, fun day for experienced surfers. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might have some company, but it’ll be worth it.
The second standout is Saturday the 1st of August. This one is a big, powerful groundswell event. The swell is 10ft, but the period is a massive 18 seconds, with energy at 5254 (strong). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW at 25 km/h. The waves will be huge, clean, and lined up – definitely for experts only. The crowd factor is a real possibility, as this is the kind of day that draws a crowd. The same swell continues into the afternoon, but it’s getting bigger at 12ft.
Sunday the 2nd of August brings a full onshore wind from the south, ruining the swell. The energy is still very strong at 8061, but it’s a mess. The first week of August is a bit of a washout with onshore winds and big, messy swell, though the 3rd has some potential with a 10ft, 14-second swell and a gentler onshore, but it’s still not ideal.
The second week is quieter. Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th of August have small, clean waves but with very weak energy (538 and 412). The 5th has a strong 45 km/h offshore wind, which is clean but makes paddling out a nightmare. The 6th and 7th of August see a new pulse of energy, with the 7th showing a promising 8ft, 17-second groundswell with clean cross-offshore winds. The energy is strong at 4858. This is a promising, long-range date, but less certain.
The 8th and 9th of August have more strong, clean swell (10ft, 14-second period) but with fresh winds, and then the 9th finishes with onshore winds again.
So, for the best of the bunch: Friday the 31st of July for the cleanest, most manageable swell, and Saturday the 1st of August for the big, powerful groundswell if you’re an expert and don’t mind the crowd. The rest of the window is a bit of a gamble with the wind.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NNW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Tue night, light winds from the WNW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4823 | 3482 | 2373 | 1428 | 1100 | 963 | 1112 | 1584 | 3643 | 1617 | 7394 | 17455 | 11175 | 6776 | 3697 | 2419 | 1853 | 1568 | 1111 | 1111 | 1167 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:03PM0.76m | 12:45PM0.82m | 12:55PM0.88m | 1:12PM0.92m | 1:30PM0.95m | 00:00AM0.43m | 1:48PM0.97m | 00:41AM0.49m | 2:05PM0.97m | 1:17AM0.55m | |||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:07AM0.21m | 1:58AM0.23m | 4:17AM0.21m | 5:21AM0.17m | 9:02PM0.39m | 6:05AM0.13m | 8:47PM0.38m | 6:41AM0.11m | 8:46PM0.36m | ||||||||||||
7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | -1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | W 16 | — | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
4823 | 3482 | 2373 | 1428 | 1100 | 963 | 1112 | 1584 | 2793 | 1617 | 129 | — | 11175 | 6776 | 3697 | 2419 | 1853 | 1568 | 1111 | 1111 | 1167 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 26 | SW 24 | SSW 23 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 18 |
— | 25 | 58 | 85 | 96 | 141 | 145 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 23 | 107 | 305 | 790 | 1106 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 9 | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 15 |
— | — | — | 42 | 67 | 39 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | WSW 11 | W 11 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 24 | 3643 | 828 | 7394 | 17455 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 76 | 76 | 76 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 466 | 164 | 482 | 369 | 369 | 566 | 128 | 76 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
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










