
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 15,736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 19s period. The wind is predicted to be onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 5.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 9s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 17s |
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 down the pipe for The Cutting. It’s a solid, consistent S-facing spot that loves a good SW groundswell, and boy, are we getting one. But there’s a catch – for the first week and a half, it’s going to be a show for the experienced crew only. Let’s break it down.
The opening act is rough. Monday the 10th we’ve got a solid 10ft SW swell rolling in with a very long 18-second period, but the wind is howling onshore at 15-22 mph and it’s messy as all get-out. The combined swell energy is sitting at 5702 (moderate to strong), but honestly, it’s a write-off for a paddle. This is more of a kite-surfing setup.
Tuesday the 11th is where things get interesting. The swell is still a hefty 10ft from the SW, period drops a touch to 14 seconds, but the wind swings offshore from the NNW at 12 mph in the morning. The energy is still strong at 3151, but the wave comment says it all – it’s too big for this break for most folks. The afternoon cleans up with fresh offshore wind, but 8ft is still a handful.
From Wednesday the 12th right through to Sunday the 16th, we are in full-on, big-wave territory. Swell heights are bouncing between 10ft and a massive 16ft, all from the SW with long periods. The combined energy hits a staggering 22868 on the 13th – that is very, very strong. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, so conditions are lumpy and challenging. This is expert-only water.
The turning point comes on Monday the 17th. The swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft, still from the SW, period at 13 seconds, and we get a beautiful cross-offshore breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. The energy is down to 1668 (moderate), and the conditions are clean. This is the first day that opens up to strong intermediates, but it’s still a proper swell.
The standout is hands down Tuesday the 18th. The morning kicks off with 7ft SW groundswell, 14-second period, light offshore N wind at 6 mph. Clean as a whistle. But the afternoon is the real gem – the swell eases to 5ft, the period stretches back out to a very long 18 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. Absolute zero wind. Combined energy is 2401 (moderate), and the water is glass. This is a session to circle on the calendar for experienced surfers who want clean, lined-up waves at a point/reef setup.
Wednesday the 19th keeps the good vibes rolling with 6-6ft SW swell, moderate offshore NNE wind at 12 mph, and clean conditions. Energy is moderate. Another solid day for the experienced crew.
After that, the swell backs off into the 5-5ft range on the 20th, with lighter, cleaner winds, but the energy drops and the surf becomes more marginal. Then we get a pulse back around Friday the 21st with a 10-12ft SW swell and offshore winds, but again, that’s back into too-big territory for most.
The tail end of the forecast, around Sunday the 23rd and into the 25th, offers a mix of 6-8ft SW swell with mostly clean offshore winds, but the consistency is there. It’s not going to be as punchy as that mid-week window, but for a confident surfer, there are waves to be had.
So to wrap it up: the first week is for the big-wave chargers only. The clear highlight is Tuesday the 18th, with that afternoon glass-off and long-period SW groundswell. If you can only pick one day, that’s it. Water temps are about average for the time of year, nothing wild to report there.
Keep an eye on the long-range stuff around the 23rd – it’s promising, but we’ll know more closer to the day.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2483 | 5682 | 4766 | 5087 | 3051 | 2201 | 3385 | 8453 | 9888 | 8522 | 12032 | 9937 | 10999 | 13767 | 10441 | 6864 | 5594 | 5639 | 4509 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:10PM0.93m | 1:19PM0.97m | 1:29PM0.97m | 1:37PM0.94m | 00:01AM0.50m | 1:44PM0.91m | 00:52AM0.62m | 1:51PM0.87m | 1:35AM0.71m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 11:00PM0.09m | 00:07AM0.15m | 4:13AM0.16m | 5:32AM0.12m | 8:37PM0.44m | 6:22AM0.11m | 8:06PM0.39m | 7:02AM0.13m | 8:03PM0.30m | ||||||||||
— | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | 7 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
1602 | 5682 | 4766 | 5087 | 3051 | 2201 | 3385 | 647 | 3511 | 8522 | 10836 | 9937 | 10999 | 13767 | 10441 | 6864 | 5594 | 5639 | 4509 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | — | — | — | SW 20 | SSW 18 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 |
2483 | — | — | — | 100 | 688 | 612 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 4 | SW 7 | — | — | NNW 4 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | SW 17 | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 20 | 500 | — | — | 23 | 939 | 8453 | 9888 | — | 12032 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 108 | 346 | 76 | 121 | 57 | 482 | 145 | 108 | 24 | 108 | 76 | 80 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 108 | 98 |
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











