
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 17,256 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 5.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 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 2.0m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at The Cutting.
We’ve got a ripper of a long-period SW groundswell (15 seconds) pushing in right from the start on Thursday, July 9th. The early morning has a light offshore breeze from the NNE, setting up clean 7ft surf. That’s solid, powerful stuff with a nice energy reading of 1986 (moderate), but at this size, it’s definitely for the more experienced crew. Then Thursday afternoon goes completely glassy. Flat calm, no wind, and the swell holds at a beautiful 7ft – that’s the kind of session you remember. The wave energy bumps up to 2597 (moderate), and with zero wind, it’s gonna be smooth as silk. That’s the standout of the whole run right there.
Friday, July 10th keeps the quality going. Morning offers a clean 8ft with a nice N offshore at 19 mph, and the afternoon brings a fresher NNW offshore at 12 mph, keeping the 7ft lines groomed. The water temp’s about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. But Saturday morning, July 11th, the wind cranks up to 25 mph from the north. It’s still offshore, but that’s strong enough to make paddling out a proper battle for an intermediate – the swell’s dropped to 5ft, and the energy’s down to 1174 (weak). Not the day for a beginner, but for a strong paddler, it’s still clean.
By Saturday afternoon, the wind swings WNW and the swell jumps to 12ft at a shorter 10-second period – that’s a lot of moving water (4725 energy, moderate to strong), but it’s starting to get too big for this break. Then Sunday, 12 July, things go wild. We get a 20ft swell with 31 mph cross-shore winds, energy hitting a whopping 14163 (very strong). That’s dangerous and messy. Monday through Wednesday are all oversized too, with waves between 13ft and 20ft, and cross or cross-off winds making it lumpy and hard to manage. This is expert-only territory, if anyone even bothers.
After that run of monster swells, Thursday morning, July 16th, brings a welcome return of glassy conditions – NE wind at just 3 mph, and a clean 8ft swell at 14 seconds. Energy’s 2195 (moderate), and it’s back to being excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your second real highlight. Friday, July 17th is a bit marginal with cross-shore wind and 8ft swell, and Saturday, July 18th has a clean 10ft with light offshore wind, but again, that size is pushing the boundaries for comfort.
From Sunday, July 19th, things mellow right out. The swell drops to 5ft, and by Monday it’s 8ft but with choppy onshore wind. The rest of the week sees another spike of big, angry surf from the 21st onwards – 16ft swells, cross-shore winds, and energy readings over 17000 (very strong). That’s not paddle surfing, that’s for the kite crew.
Honestly, if you’re looking for the best bet, Thursday the 9th and Thursday the 16th are your golden windows. Both have glassy or light offshore wind, solid 6ft+ groundswell, and that long period making for some grunty, well-formed waves. Get on it while the wind plays nice.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the W by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the NW on Mon night, strong winds from the SW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wed 15 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3415 | 1941 | 1760 | 3222 | 2404 | 2111 | 1690 | 978 | 2493 | 4844 | 14163 | 10929 | 8550 | 13416 | 9240 | 12493 | 17187 | 13606 | 9237 | 6720 | 5338 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 6:13AM0.60m | 2:55PM0.66m | 1:17PM0.71m | 12:30PM0.82m | 12:45PM0.92m | 1:09PM0.98m | 1:33PM1.01m | 1:54PM1.01m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 10:50PM0.26m | 9:49AM0.56m | 11:02PM0.21m | 11:24PM0.16m | 00:08AM0.12m | 1:32AM0.10m | 3:28AM0.08m | 4:53AM0.04m | |||||||||||||
— | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
— | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 10 | — | — | SW 23 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
3415 | 1941 | 1760 | 3222 | 2404 | 2111 | 1690 | 978 | 2232 | — | — | 81 | 7356 | 10236 | 432 | 12493 | 17187 | 13606 | 9237 | 6720 | 5338 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 22 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 |
— | 45 | 837 | — | — | — | — | 196 | — | — | — | — | 209 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | NW 5 | NNW 5 | W 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 15 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 11 | 85 | 40 | 2493 | 4844 | 14163 | 10929 | 8550 | 13416 | 9240 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 482 | 489 | 661 | 656 | 665 | 121 | 684 | 795 | 128 | 482 | 482 | 449 | 76 | 76 |
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











