
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 21,656 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period with WSW 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 5.0m and 12s period. 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 7.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 13th Jul) | 23ft (7.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
Hey crew, Rusty here.
Alright, let’s look at the one spot that’s got anything going on in this 16-day window: The Cutting. It’s a consistent break, open to south swells, and it’s going to see a lot of action, but the size and wind will be key. The water temp is 59°F, which is about average for the season.
We kick off on Saturday the 11th of July with a so-so afternoon. There’s a 5ft SW swell running, but it’s a cross-off wind from the WNW at 22 mph. The combined swell energy is moderate at 754. It’s surfable, but a bit of a letdown with some rain around. Not the best start.
Sunday the 12th is a total washout. We’ve got a solid 18ft SW swell coming in, but a strong breeze from the west at 28 mph is making a mess, with cross and cross-off winds. The wave energy jumps to 8878, but conditions are poor all day.
Now, Monday the 13th is interesting, but only for experts. There’s a huge 21ft to 23ft SW swell rolling in from the WSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 36508 to 39816. The wind is cross-off from the NW at 25 mph, keeping it clean, but it’s way too big for anyone except the most experienced surfers.
Tuesday the 14th is another one to skip. The swell drops a little to 18ft, but the wind shifts to the WSW at 16 mph, creating cross and cross-on chop. Lots of energy (10091 to 13467), but poor surf.
Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th start to look better. The swell drops to a solid 12ft to 8ft SW groundswell, with 14-second periods. Wind goes light offshore or cross-off from the NNW and WNW. The combined energies are moderate at 2976 to 4904. Thursday is the early standout for experienced surfers. Gentle breezes mean glassy, clean waves. The swell is still over 8ft, so it’s expert only, but the quality is excellent.
Friday the 17th through Saturday the 18th of July sees the swell between 12ft and 6ft. The wind turns offshore from the north and NNW, with light to moderate breezes, keeping it clean. The swell period is a long 13 to 16 seconds. The energy is moderate to strong (1075 to 5881). On Friday the swell is still over 8ft, so it’s expert territory. Saturday the 18th, with 7ft SW groundswell and offshore winds, is the best call for experienced surfers wanting a bit more manageable size.
Sunday the 19th is tricky with a very long-period 19-second swell at 5ft to 7ft. It’s clean, but a strong breeze from the north at 25 mph makes paddling into those widely spaced sets tough. The energy is moderate at 1915 to 2599. Marginal.
Monday the 20th to Tuesday the 21st of July drops off. The swell sits at 8ft to 10ft, but the wind goes cross or cross-on from the WSW and SW, creating chop. Not good. Wednesday the 22nd through Thursday the 24th of July sees the swell back to 8ft to 12ft with long periods up to 17 seconds. Wind is cross-off from the WNW, clean again, but the size keeps it for experts only. The energy is strong (2777 to 5912).
Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of July are where it all lines up for the best stretch of the whole forecast. The swell sits at a very manageable 8ft to 8ft SW groundswell, with a long 15 to 16-second period. The wind is offshore from the NNW or cross-off from light breezes. The wave energy is moderate to strong at 3222 to 3353. These days offer excellent conditions for experienced surfers, with clean, lined-up waves and offshore winds. If you can handle the size, mark these dates down.
The standout days are the 25th and 26th of July, where the combination of consistent 8ft groundswell, light offshore winds, and excellent surf quality is a true winner.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Sat night, moderate winds from the WSW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
754 | 5526 | 8878 | 9578 | 12667 | 19870 | 21340 | 19172 | 13467 | 10091 | 7161 | 4904 | 3743 | 3067 | 2886 | 2862 | 6323 | 5863 | 4529 | 2785 | 1408 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 12:45PM0.92m | 1:09PM0.98m | 1:33PM1.01m | 1:54PM1.01m | 2:11PM0.98m | 11:46PM0.51m | 2:25PM0.94m | 1:05AM0.58m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 00:08AM0.12m | 1:32AM0.10m | 3:28AM0.08m | 4:53AM0.04m | 5:55AM0.03m | 9:20PM0.49m | 6:46AM0.04m | 8:53PM0.44m | 7:29AM0.09m | ||||||||||||
— | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | |
5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | 5:29 | |
mm | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | — | — | SW 22 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
754 | — | — | 79 | 10578 | 16638 | 18476 | — | 13467 | 10091 | 7161 | 4904 | 3743 | 3067 | 2886 | 2862 | 6323 | 5863 | 4529 | 2785 | 1408 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 13 | SSW 21 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | — |
— | — | — | — | 319 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 123 | 45 | 90 | 36 | 18 | 8 | 2 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 45 | 151 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
215 | 5526 | 8878 | 9578 | 12667 | 19870 | 21340 | 19172 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 318 | 389 | 661 | 956 | 128 | 684 | 633 | 650 | 76 | 76 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
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











