The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for The Cutting.

We've got a solid run of southwest groundswell on the way, but the problem is, for a lot of this forecast, it's going to be way too much for most of us. The first good sign comes on Friday morning, August 7th. We're looking at a clean 10ft SW swell, with a period of 15 seconds, and light north winds making it glassy. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year. The combined energy is a very strong 3824, so this is a powerful swell. But the catch is, at 10ft, this is strictly for experienced surfers only. The Cutting is exposed, so that size will be packing a punch.

The absolute standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is Friday afternoon, August 7th. The wind drops to nothing – glassy conditions – and the swell settles to a still-chunky 8ft from the SW, with that lovely 15-second period. The wave energy is 3579, which is still very strong. This is the window for the experienced crew. It's going to be clean, powerful, and lined up. The crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so get on it early.

From Saturday, August 8th, things get messy. The wind swings onshore or gets too strong, and the swell stays big. We have a few days of marginal conditions, with a lot of cross-off or cross-onshore winds. Sunday the 9th is a write-off with light rain and strong breezes.

Monday, August 10th, is a no-go zone. We're looking at a 16ft to 15ft WSW swell with near gale-force cross-onshore winds (22-31 mph). The wave energy is astronomical (15142). This is not surfable. It's more of a kite-surfing scenario if anything.

The pattern of big, lumpy, and blown-out continues through the middle of the week. Wednesday, August 12th, has a 10ft SW swell but with a 34 mph cross-onshore wind. Not good.

Look, after that first Friday, the next real glimmer doesn't come until the following week. We have a long gap of poor to dangerous conditions. The next best bet is the morning of Monday, August 17th. The swell drops to a more manageable 8ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and light WNW winds give us clean conditions. The wave energy is still very strong at 2779. This is another one for the experienced surfers, but it'll be a lot cleaner than the junk we've been dealing with.

Then Tuesday, August 18th, looks good. The morning has a 8ft WSW swell, and the afternoon sees it drop to 7ft, with light offshore winds. The energy is moderate to strong (3249). This is shaping up to be a solid, clean day for the more experienced.

The end of the forecast window, around Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th, has some promise but it's far out. The Thursday morning has a 8ft WSW swell, but with a fresh 22 mph offshore wind, so it'll be clean but powerful. The afternoon of the 20th sees an 12ft swell with a 17-second period, so that's a very long-period groundswell that will be best for the experienced.

So, the clear winner is Friday afternoon, August 7th. Glassy, solid 8ft SW groundswell, and the only real window of perfection in the near term. If you're an expert, that’s your session. The other highlight is the Tuesday, August 18th, for a cleaner, slightly smaller option.

Rusty out.

Read more