The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
14.0° C
0.3° 

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 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 17s period, SW swell with 13,985 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 19s 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m and 14s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Mon 10th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 19s
Best Surf 4AM (Mon 10th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 19s
Most Powerful 7PM (Wed 12th Aug)16ft (5.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. Looks like we've got a mixed bag coming up for The Cutting over the next couple of weeks. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year.

The first decent chance to get wet is Saturday morning, August 8th. We've got a solid 8ft SW groundswell pushing in with a long 16-second period, so there's plenty of energy in the water (3001). The wind is blowing a fresh 30 km/h offshore from the NNE, which will keep things clean. It's a bit big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, Saturday morning is your go.

Saturday afternoon holds similar size at 8ft, but the wind stays offshore. Sunday morning the 9th sees the swell easing to 6ft, but the wind swings to a cross-off, so still manageable. The energy drops a bit (1396), but it's rideable.

Hold onto your hats, because Monday the 10th turns ugly. The swell jumps to 10ft with a massive energy reading (5724), but the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it a complete mess. That's a kite surf day, not a paddle day.

Tuesday the 11th morning has a huge 10ft swell with a moderate offshore wind, but the forecast says it's just too big for this break. It's a clean, powerful line-up for the experts only. The afternoon eases to 8ft.

Wednesday the 12th morning is another massive one at 13ft, clean with a cross-off wind, but again, way too big for the average punter. The energy is massive (9464), so if you're a pro and you've got the balls, it's a monster.

The rest of that week, from Thursday the 13th through to Saturday the 15th, is a write-off. Swell hangs between 12ft and 16ft with cross or cross-onshore winds. It's big, messy, and dangerous.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. From Sunday the 16th, things settle down. The swell drops to a clean 8ft on Sunday morning, and the wind goes glassy-clean from the ENE. The energy is still solid (2862), and it's excellent for experienced surfers. Monday the 17th morning is much the same – 8ft, clean, light offshore breeze. Tuesday the 18th afternoon is a standout period: 8ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period, light offshore winds, and a quality energy reading (3948). That's a proper groundswell peeling nicely.

The 19th and 20th keep the good run going, with clean conditions and solid 7ft to 10ft swell. By Friday the 21st, we've got an 12ft swell with glassy conditions in the morning, but it might be a touch big for the spot. Still, the conditions are pristine.

The last standout is Saturday the 22nd afternoon: 10ft, clean offshore winds, and a long 16-second period. That's a proper session for the experienced crew.

Overall, the best windows are the mornings of Saturday the 8th, Sunday the 16th, Monday the 17th, and then the afternoon of Tuesday the 18th. The 18th afternoon is the pick of the bunch – long period, clean, and plenty of punch.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun night, strong winds from the SW by Mon afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Tue morning). Mainly strong winds.

Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
2
2
5
0
0
!
!
3
2
!
0
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SW
16
2.3
SW
15
2.3
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
1.3
SW
16
1.9
SW
19
3
SW
18
3
SW
17
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
2.4
SW
16
4
SW
16
3
SW
17
5
SW
15
5
SW
16
4.5
SW
15
4.5
SW
15
4.5
SW
16
4.5
SW
16
4
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3001
2372
2114
1197
823
2694
5682
4545
6265
3216
2171
3182
8604
4891
12053
12667
9867
8543
10818
8823
6468
Wind (km/h)
30
NNE
30
N
25
N
35
NE
35
NNE
15
E
25
SW
40
SW
25
W
25
NNW
35
NNW
40
NW
30
WNW
35
WSW
30
W
35
W
25
W
20
W
25
W
20
WSW
10
WSW
Wind State
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
1:30PM0.79m
1:10PM0.87m
1:10PM0.93m
1:19PM0.97m
1:29PM0.97m
1:37PM0.94m
00:01AM0.50m
1:44PM0.91m
00:52AM0.62m
Low Tide
10:25PM0.07m
11:00PM0.09m
00:07AM0.15m
4:13AM0.16m
5:32AM0.12m
8:37PM0.44m
6:22AM0.11m
8:06PM0.39m
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
light rain
heavy rain
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
cloud
cloud
mod rain
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:45
5:46
5:47
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:51
 mm
1
5
5
2
20
2
2
6
2
1
1
1
Temp °C
13
12
12
11
12
12
13
13
11
13
13
13
12
12
12
14
14
13
12
13
13
Feels °C
7
6
5
4
5
9
9
5
5
6
6
5
4
3
6
8
9
9
7
9
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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