The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming up for The Cutting. This break is an exposed South-facing spot, so it pulls in a lot of the Southern Ocean energy, and with the deep water right there, it’s a consistent performer when conditions line up.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a gap at the start. The first proper surf we can talk about kicks off on Wednesday morning, August 19th. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, no weird anomalies to speak of. Wednesday morning brings a 4ft SW swell, but with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell, so the sets will be clean and powerful, but with longer waits between them. Wind is a moderate breeze from the north at 16 mph, which is offshore, so the face will be clean. Still, the total wave energy is 637, which is on the weaker side, and the conditions are tagged as marginal, so don’t expect firing barrels. Wednesday afternoon gets a bit cross-off with a bit more wind, but it’s not a standout.

Thursday the 20th sees a jump in size, with the morning showing 7ft from the west at 13 seconds. That’s a solid intermediate wave, but the energy’s jumped to 3190, so there’s some punch. Winds are cross-off from the NNW at 12 mph – clean enough, but the wave comment’s still marginal. Afternoon drops back to 4ft but same deal.

Now, Friday August 21st is where things start to get serious. The morning session has a 10ft WSW swell, with a 15-second period. Combine that with 3794 in wave energy, and this is a big, powerful ocean. But here’s the catch – the guidance says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. At 10ft, that’s expert territory only, and with a cross-off NW wind at 12 mph, it’s clean but heavy. Friday afternoon is the same size, 10ft, but the winds go cross-shore, making for lumpy conditions. The next few days, from Saturday 22nd through Sunday 23rd, keep serving up 10ft to 12ft SW swells, all tagged as too big for the break, so unless you’re a seasoned charger, you’re better off sitting this one out.

The middle of the week, Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th, sees the swell drop back to the 7ft range, but with a 14-second period and nasty cross-onshore or even cross-on winds, it’s messy on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon, the swell jumps back to 12ft with a short 12-second period and cross-onshore winds – choppy and not inviting.

We then hit a bit of a quiet spell until the very end of the window. The real standout kicks off on Monday, August 31st. Monday morning brings a 6ft SW swell, climbing to a 16-second period – that’s a long, groundswell pulse with 2336 in energy. More importantly, the wind is a gentle offshore breeze from the north at 9 mph, creating glassy, clean conditions. The guidance calls this “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is your best bet for quality, clean waves with decent size.

Tuesday, September 1st carries that on. The morning has a 7ft SW swell, 16-second period, and a moderate offshore north wind at 16 mph. That’s 2337 in energy and once again rated excellent for experienced surfers. It’s a proper session, but watch out for the afternoon wind shift.

Then, Thursday September 3rd is the other true standout. The morning session shows a 8ft SW swell, with a whopping 17-second period – that’s very long period groundswell, meaning heaps of energy and shape, but the sets will be widely spaced. The wave energy is 3325, and the wind is a light offshore from the NNE at 6 mph – almost glassy. The guidance rates it excellent for experienced surfers with a score that tops the whole run. However, at 8ft, it’s still in expert territory, and the long period means this point break setup should handle it beautifully, with proper lines. It’s the pick of the lot, but a bit far out – the 3rd of September – so keep an eye on the forecast because long-range calls are always a bit less certain.

Overall, the pattern here is a big pulse of swell in the third week of August that’s too big for comfort, then a lull, then a cleaner, more manageable wave at the very end of the month and into September. There are no beginner-friendly days; everything is intermediate or expert. Crowds are possible here, so if you’re going for the best windows on August 31st or September 3rd, expect company.

Stay stoked, and I’ll see you in the water.
Rusty

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