The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.6° 

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 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 10,986 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period with SSW 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 15s 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 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Fri 11th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 15s
Best Surf 1PM (Fri 11th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 1PM (Tue 15th Sep)16ft (5.0m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s break this down for The Cutting over the next 16 days.

Honestly, the main story here is too much of a good thing. There’s massive swell on the charts, but it’s way too big for this break for most of the period. The first real chance to get wet is on Sunday, September 13th.

Kicking off on Friday the 11th, we’ve got a heavy SSW groundswell running 10ft to 13ft with a long 15 to 16-second period. The combined energy is reading 5343 (moderate to strong wave energy) and then 7330. The wind is light and glassy in the morning, which would be dreamy, but the swell size makes it unrideable for paddle surfing. Same story Saturday the 12th – 10ft to 11ft SW groundswell (combined energy around 4000-4900) with clean offshore winds. Just too much juice.

Now, Sunday the 13th is the one. The morning swell drops to a still-solid 7ft, with a light offshore N wind at 30 km/h. Combined energy is still high at 2226, but it’s getting into the ballpark. The real highlight is Sunday afternoon. Swell eases to 6ft from the SW with a very long 16-second period, and a gentle offshore NNE breeze at 15 km/h. This is clean, powerful juice. Perfect for experienced surfers who can handle the size and the long-period sets. Keep in mind, crowds are a possibility here.

Monday the 14th gets smaller, down to 4ft to 4ft, but the wind turns cross-off and choppy.

Then, from Tuesday the 15th onward, it’s game over for a while. The ocean just ramps up again. Swells from 10ft all the way up to a massive 20ft, with combined energy readings in the 5,000 to 23,000 range (strong to very strong wave energy). Offshore winds appear regularly, but these are purely for big-wave specialists or tow-surfing. At 20ft, it’s a survival zone.

There is a small window to watch on Thursday, September 25th with a 5ft to 6ft SW swell from a very long 19-second period (combined energy 2121). The wind would be light and cross-off, making for clean conditions, so it’s worth a look if the earlier bigger days have settled down.

The takeaway: For the next two weeks, The Cutting is mostly a beast. The one standout, the session I’d be chasing, is Sunday afternoon, September 13th. That’s your clean, powerful, and most importantly, rideable window.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sun morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 6°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue morning, calm by Wed night).

Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
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
4
3
2
1
0
!
0
0
!
!
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SSW
15
4
SSW
16
4
SSW
16
3.5
SW
15
3
SW
15
2.5
SW
15
2.2
SW
15
2
SW
16
1.7
SW
14
1.4
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
3
WSW
10
5
SW
14
5
SW
14
4.5
SW
14
4.5
SW
15
4.5
SW
15
4
SW
15
3
SW
14
3
SW
14
3
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
5343
7330
7262
4874
4032
2792
2226
1856
1179
704
437
1526
10530
9563
8120
8355
8250
6477
3752
3152
3912
Wind (km/h)
5
ESE
15
SSE
15
NE
10
N
10
NW
20
NNE
30
N
15
NNE
20
NW
20
NW
25
WNW
30
WSW
35
SW
35
SW
20
S
15
SSE
15
S
10
NNE
5
NNE
5
ESE
15
N
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
off
off
glassy
off
High Tide
12:56PM0.82m
00:33AM0.67m
1:01PM0.79m
1:03AM0.78m
1:07PM0.77m
1:33AM0.86m
1:16PM0.75m
2:02AM0.90m
1:26PM0.74m
2:31AM0.91m
1:36PM0.73m
2:59AM0.88m
1:45PM0.72m
3:28AM0.83m
Low Tide
7:09PM0.34m
6:37AM0.20m
7:04PM0.26m
7:08AM0.22m
7:12PM0.17m
7:37AM0.25m
7:26PM0.09m
8:02AM0.30m
7:45PM0.03m
8:25AM0.36m
8:05PM0.01m
8:44AM0.42m
8:25PM0.02m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:15
6:15
6:16
6:17
6:19
6:20
6:21
 mm
1
12
2
1
Temp °C
13
13
12
18
19
17
19
15
14
15
15
12
11
11
11
11
10
9
11
13
13
Feels °C
10
9
8
15
17
14
13
13
12
9
9
5
3
3
4
6
6
7
9
10
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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