The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
14.3°C
0.8° 

The Cutting surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Cutting surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 19s period, SSW swell with 16,390 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 14s 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 5.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Thu 3rd Sep)13ft (4.0m) 14s
Best Surf 1AM (Thu 3rd Sep)13ft (4.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 7PM (Wed 9th Sep)16ft (5.0m) 19s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, let's get stuck into it.

The swell window is pumpin' for The Cutting over the next fortnight, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. The main issue is that a lot of this swell is gonna be too hefty for most, but when the wind plays ball, it could be a sight to see for the experienced crew. There's a bit of a lull right now, so we're looking at the first real chance to paddle out on Thursday the 3rd.

Alright, Thursday the 3rd is a write-off. We've got a solid 16 ft SW groundswell rollin' in, with a long 14-second period and some serious energy behind it (9798). But a strong 25 mph W cross-breeze is gonna trash the surface, rippin' it up with messy cross-chop. The combined energy spikes up to 23587 in the arvo, but honestly, it's just too big and battered. Leave this one for the tow crew.

Friday the 4th looks a touch better. The swell eases slightly to 16 ft, still from the SW and that period stretches out to a very long 16 seconds. The energy's still massive at 11184, but the wind swings around to a moderate 12 mph NNW cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon cleans up even more with a solid offshore NNW breeze at 16 mph. It's a powerful, clean wave, but at 15 ft, this is definitely a big-wave spot only for the experts.

Now, Saturday the 5th is the standout for the big-wave chargers. We've got that 16 ft WSW swell with that long 15-second period and solid energy (10491). The morning light rain will keep the crowds honest, and a 28 mph WNW cross-offshore breeze is blowin', keeping things clean. This is a serious, powerful, and clean setup. For the average punter, it's too big at 16 ft.

We get a brief window on Sunday the 6th where the swell drops to a slightly more manageable 13 ft in the morning. It's still a 13-second groundswell, but energy is still high (4989). What makes it interesting is that the arvo glass off with barely any wind. At 10 ft with glassy conditions, this is as clean as it gets for a heavy wave. Still, 10 ft is a solid size for this exposed point. Water temp is nothing special, pretty average for the time of year.

The middle of the week, Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th, sees the swell drop off a cliff followed by a brief pulse, but conditions are mostly poor, or the wind blows onshore. Tuesday the 8th morning has a clean 7 ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, but the quality is questionable due to tides.

Looking ahead, there's a couple of promising, cleaner days. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th look good for the crew who can handle overhead waves. The swell holds steady around 10 ft from the SW with a long 16-second period, but the wind is a clean, moderate offshore from the N and NNE. This is 10 ft, so still a handful for intermediates.

After that, the swell gets messy again with cross-shore winds for a few days. However, from Tuesday the 15th of September through the rest of the week, we get another solid pulse of SW groundswell, with clean cross-offshore NW winds. But we're talking 12 ft to 16 ft waves again, so it's back to expert territory. That Wednesday the 16th morning with a 16 ft SW swell and 16-second period in clean conditions (combined energy of 9830) is another huge one for the right person.

So, summary for The Cutting: This is a stretch for experienced surfers only. The very best sessions, where the combination of swell and wind truly line up, are Saturday the 5th morning and then again around Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th for more manageable but still big conditions. The glassy Sunday arvo on the 6th is a rare treat for a heavy wave. For everyone else, this is a spectator spot for the next couple of weeks.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Thu night, near gales from the W by Sat morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the S by Mon morning).

Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
0
!
!
!
!
!
!
0
!
!
!
3
0
0
3
4
!
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
4
SW
14
5
SW
14
5.5
SW
14
5.5
SW
15
5
SW
16
4.5
SW
16
4
SW
16
5
WSW
15
6
WSW
12
5
WSW
14
4
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.4
SW
12
1.9
SW
13
2
SW
13
2.3
SW
12
2.1
SW
18
3
SW
16
3
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
6623
9798
12754
14380
11184
10494
7773
10491
10007
9244
4989
3166
1584
1185
1319
1591
2750
4719
4084
Wind (km/h)
30
NW
40
W
35
W
20
WNW
20
NNW
25
NNW
35
NNW
45
WNW
45
W
30
WSW
5
WSW
5
WNW
20
NW
35
SSW
25
S
10
SW
20
W
30
WSW
25
SSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-off
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
on
High Tide
3:15AM0.85m
1:52PM0.71m
3:50AM0.82m
1:41PM0.73m
4:32AM0.75m
1:26PM0.77m
5:49AM0.67m
1:10PM0.82m
1:00PM0.86m
12:55PM0.88m
Low Tide
8:56AM0.44m
8:38PM0.03m
9:05AM0.54m
8:56PM0.01m
8:53AM0.63m
9:17PM0.02m
7:33AM0.67m
9:41PM0.06m
10:05PM0.15m
10:14PM0.26m
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:50
6:48
6:47
6:46
6:43
6:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:09
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:13
 mm
4
2
8
2
1
1
6
Temp °C
13
12
13
12
14
15
15
12
13
12
12
13
12
12
12
10
12
12
12
Feels °C
7
3
5
7
8
10
7
3
4
5
10
11
8
4
6
6
6
6
6
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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

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