
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 6,375 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at a wild stretch ahead for The Cutting. We’ve got a serious south-west groundswell train coming in, and honestly, for the next few days, it’s going to be way too much. A massive 13-foot SW groundswell (period 15 seconds) is pouring in right now, packing a huge 6960 in combined energy. That's just raw power, and it's overwhelming the break. It'll look like a washing machine out there, not a surf spot, unless you're looking for a beatdown. The water temp is 58°, which is normal for this time of year, so you don't need the thickest wetsuit on that front, but you'll be in it more than on it. This heavy swell hangs in through Friday as well with 10-foot to 11-foot waves (combined energy still well over 4000). Even with the light offshore on Friday morning, those are for the brave, not for fun.
The first real turn comes Saturday morning, the 18th of July. The swell finally drops to a still-chunky 8 feet, but it's a clean, long-period SW groundswell (14 seconds), and we've got a light cross-offshore breeze. This is where it becomes excellent for experienced surfers only. The combined energy is down to 2334, which tells you there's still serious weight, but it's organized. Saturday afternoon is even cleaner with lighter wind and a 7-foot swell. These two sessions are the standouts for the big-wave crew.
By Sunday the 19th, everything settles. We drop to a much friendlier 5 feet from the WSW with a clean northerly offshore wind. That'll be really fun for everyone. The combined energy is under 1000, making it feel much more manageable. That mellow, clean vibe carries into Monday the 20th, with a 6-foot WSW swell, a 16-second period, and a moderate offshore. The wave quality should be excellent there too, with the longer period really tidying things up on the face.
We get a bit of a lull from Tuesday the 21st through Wednesday the 22nd with mixed conditions and some "marginal" flags on the forecast. Not bad, but not the highlight.
Then, from Thursday the 23rd, the big swell is back. We see 8 feet ramping up to 11 feet by the afternoon. That's combined energy jumping to 6345. It is clean, but again, that is a lot of water moving and it will be for the experienced-only crowd again. Friday the 24th is blown out with strong cross-shore wind. The following Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th clean up with NNW winds and head-high waves in the 8-foot to 10-foot range. That window is another sweet spot for the good surfers.
Then, brace yourselves. The 27th of July (Monday) is the biggest pulse of the whole run. A massive 15-foot to 16-foot WSW swell hits combined with strong offshore wind. We're talking a combined energy of 13,583 to 15,780. That is absolute limit stuff at The Cutting. Pure madness for the experts who know what they're doing. The rest of that week into August is a mix of big, sloppy, and blown-out conditions or more solid swell with dodgy winds. Honestly, ignore the last few days of the month from the 28th onwards; it’s a lot of onshore wind and messy big swells.
So, the pick of the fortnight? Easy. For the big wave chargers, it's Saturday morning the 18th of July. 8-foot SW groundswell (14 seconds) with a clean cross-offshore NW breeze. For a more relaxed, fun day for good surfers, Monday morning the 20th of July is your spot. A 6-foot WSW long-period swell (16 seconds) and a moderate offshore from the NNW, with a combined energy of 1446.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
6206 | 5732 | 4343 | 5401 | 4490 | 2985 | 2334 | 1684 | 1100 | 636 | 508 | 536 | 1373 | 1087 | 1014 | 1030 | 1922 | 1503 | 1064 | 865 | 1112 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:11PM0.98m | 11:46PM0.51m | 2:25PM0.94m | 1:05AM0.58m | 2:38PM0.89m | 2:04AM0.64m | 2:50PM0.85m | 2:58AM0.67m | 3:02PM0.81m | 3:51AM0.68m | 3:10PM0.78m | 4:45AM0.67m | 3:13PM0.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:20PM0.49m | 6:46AM0.04m | 8:53PM0.44m | 7:29AM0.09m | 8:57PM0.35m | 8:08AM0.17m | 9:14PM0.27m | 8:43AM0.27m | 9:37PM0.19m | 9:14AM0.38m | 10:02PM0.15m | 9:39AM0.48m | 10:29PM0.14m | ||||||||
7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
6206 | 5732 | 4343 | 5401 | 4490 | 2985 | 2334 | 1684 | 1100 | 636 | 508 | 387 | 1373 | 1087 | 1014 | 1030 | 1922 | 1503 | 1064 | 865 | 1112 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 17 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 17 | SSW 9 | — | — | — | — |
688 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | 213 | 202 | 198 | 536 | 73 | 49 | 15 | 173 | 17 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 22 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | S 11 | — | — | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 151 | 275 | 143 | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 11 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 19 | 10 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 24 | 17 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 57 | 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










