
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 16,510 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period with WSW 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 6.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 20ft (6.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on offer at The Cutting for the next couple of weeks.
Alright, we’ve got a real mixed bag of a forecast coming our way. The first few days are a bit of a write-off for a good paddle, but if you’re a strong, experienced surfer, the second half of the week looks like it could be something special. The water temp is sitting at 58° which is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Tuesday 21st July kicks off with a 7ft WSW swell, but with a 12 mph cross-offshore wind, it’s a bit of a fight. The energy is strong though, at 1673. Not a great day to make a plan.
Wednesday 22nd sees a bit more size, hitting 8ft on the afternoon, but the wind swings onshore and gets messy. The morning is cleaner with a 7ft swell and that cross-off, but it’s still a marginal call.
Thursday 23rd is where things get interesting. A big 15ft SW swell rolls in with a 14-second period. The energy is massive, 14711, but that’s way too much size for any sane paddle surfer. The cross wind on the morning is no good either. This is a kite surfer’s day, not a surfer’s.
Friday 24th is similar. A 16ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and energy of 12150. It’s a monster. The wind is cross, but the swell is just too big for The Cutting. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a survival mission.
Saturday 25th is still way too big. A 13ft SW swell with 4564 energy. The wind is cross-on in the afternoon, making it a total mess. The morning is not much better.
Sunday 26th is the first real glimmer of hope. The swell drops to a clean 8ft from the SW with a 11-second period, and the wind is a light 6 mph cross-offshore. The energy is 1461. This is the best session of the week. The waves will have some nice shape and be clean. It’s solid intermediate territory, but still a bit of a handful for the faint-hearted.
Monday 27th starts with a manageable 6ft SW swell and clean conditions, but the afternoon sees a jump back up to 15ft. That afternoon swell is just too big again.
Tuesday 28th is a big day. A 13ft SW swell, but the morning is clean with a light cross-off. The real standout is the afternoon: a 16ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a glassy, dead calm wind. The energy is 17026. If you’re an expert, this is the one. The sets will be massive, long, and perfectly clean. For anyone else, it’s a no-go.
Wednesday 29th is similar. A 16ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and a gentle offshore wind in the morning. Glassy conditions again in the afternoon. Expert-only, but the quality is there.
Thursday 30th starts with a 10ft SSW swell, clean, but still big. The afternoon is the real treat: a 8ft SW swell, 12-second period, and a light cross-off wind. The energy is 3165. This is the best all-round session for experienced surfers. Clean, solid, and not too crazy.
Friday 31st backs off to 6ft S swell with a 13-second period. The morning is clean, but the afternoon gets a cross-chop. Still a fun, manageable day.
Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August offer cleaner, smaller swells. 6ft to 5ft from the SW, with offshore winds. The energy is moderate, around 1200-1700. These are great days for intermediates looking for a clean, fun wave without the chaos.
Monday 3rd is a bit smaller, 5ft SW, but the wind is clean in the morning. The afternoon gets a cross-on breeze, making it choppy.
Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th look like a return to poor conditions. Onshore winds from the south and messy swell. The energy is moderate, but the quality is gone. Not worth a look.
Overall, the standout sessions are Sunday 26th for the first clean, solid swell, and Thursday 30th afternoon for the best combination of size, clean conditions, and manageable energy for experienced surfers. The big days from the 23rd to the 29th are for experts only, and honestly, for most of us, it’s just a show.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Tue night, strong winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NW by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1673 | 1177 | 1106 | 1920 | 6068 | 7714 | 8237 | 13631 | 12150 | 9832 | 6918 | 4564 | 3535 | 2153 | 1293 | 999 | 732 | 664 | 4742 | 4631 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:45AM0.67m | 3:13PM0.75m | 5:51AM0.65m | 3:03PM0.72m | 2:20PM0.72m | 1:03PM0.76m | 12:45PM0.82m | 12:55PM0.88m | ||||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:02PM0.15m | 9:39AM0.48m | 10:29PM0.14m | 9:53AM0.57m | 10:56PM0.15m | 11:26PM0.17m | 00:07AM0.21m | 1:58AM0.23m | ||||||||||||
— | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | |
5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | — | SSW 15 | SW 14 | — | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | — | SW 12 |
1673 | 1177 | 1106 | — | 5185 | 6997 | — | — | 12150 | 9059 | — | 4564 | 3535 | 2153 | 1293 | 999 | 732 | 664 | — | 4168 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | — | — |
— | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 77 | 127 | 125 | 137 | 146 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 10 | S 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 67 | 46 | 15 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | W 6 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 |
— | 8 | 156 | 1920 | 6068 | 7714 | 8237 | 13631 | — | 9832 | 6918 | — | — | — | — | — | 178 | 613 | 4742 | 4631 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 80 | 4 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 623 | 466 | 158 | 670 | 128 | 108 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 80 | 24 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Far West of Victoria | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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










