The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 27 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
14.2° C
0.3° 

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 27 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 25ft (7.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 26,474 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 3.5m and 11s. 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 7.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) 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 1.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Tue 28th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 14s
Best Surf 7PM (Tue 28th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 4AM (Wed 29th Jul)25ft (7.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let's get into it. The Cutting is the only show in town for this forecast period, and it's a bit of a wild ride. We're looking at a long stretch ahead, so let's break it down day by day.

The surf starts off with some serious size on Tuesday, July 28th, but the wind is howling. That 6.9ft SSW swell (16 seconds) is clean in the morning, with a strong breeze from the NNW, but the wave energy is already at a solid 3600. The afternoon sees it jump to 9.8ft and 6165 energy, but it gets messy with a strong cross-shore. Not worth paddling out, honestly.

Wednesday, July 29th, the swell pumps up to a massive 19.7ft from the SW with a long 16-second period. The wave energy is crazy strong at 18313. Problem is, the wind is cross-on from the SW. This thing is way too big for anyone but the absolute elite, and even then, the wind makes it a rough one. The afternoon stays big and lumpy.

Thursday, July 30th, we drop down to a 9.8ft SW swell (13 seconds) with 3063 energy in the morning. Still big, still too big for most. The cross-shore wind doesn't help. The afternoon drops a little to 8.2ft, but the energy is still 2387 and the wind is cross. A pass for me.

Now, Friday, July 31st, is where it starts to get interesting. Morning brings a clean 6.9ft SW swell (12 seconds) with a light breeze. The wave energy is a moderate 1422. This is solid intermediate territory. The afternoon stays clean and 6.6ft, with a light cross-offshore breeze. Good, fun waves for the capable surfer.

Saturday, August 1st, kicks off with a 5.6ft SSW swell that has a very long 17-second period. The wave energy is 2380, and we've got a gentle offshore breeze from the north. This is a beautiful setup for The Cutting – the long period will wrap in nicely. The afternoon gets bigger again, 9.8ft SW with an 18-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 5921. That afternoon session is for experienced surfers only; it's pushing the limits.

Sunday, August 2nd, is a write-off. The swell is still big at 9.8ft and 11.5ft, but the wind is straight onshore and choppy. Don't bother.

Monday, August 3rd, same problem: 11.5ft and 9.8ft of SW swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-on. Too big and messy.

Tuesday, August 4th, things clean up nicely. Morning has a 7.2ft SW swell (12 seconds, 2025 energy) with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The afternoon is even better: 4.3ft but with an extremely long, groundswell 21-second period from the SSW. The energy is still 2839. That afternoon session will have long, powerful, clean lines. A real standout for the more experienced surfer.

Wednesday, August 5th, is the best session of the whole run. Morning brings a 8.2ft SW swell (18 seconds) with a clean offshore breeze. The energy is 4434. Then, in the afternoon, it goes glassy – zero wind from the NW – and a 8.2ft SW swell at 17 seconds (3717 energy). Perfect. Clean, powerful, and consistent. This is the one to circle.

Thursday, August 6th, stays good. A clean 6.9ft SW swell (15 seconds) in the morning with a light cross-offshore. The afternoon is a little smaller and more mixed.

Friday, August 7th, is another top-shelf day. Morning is 7.2ft SW (15 seconds, 3146 energy) with a gentle offshore from the NNE. The afternoon drops to 5.9ft but with a long 20-second period (4003 energy) and a clean offshore breeze. Both sessions are excellent for experienced surfers.

Saturday, August 8th, is back to the big stuff. Morning has a 9.8ft SW swell (18 seconds) with a moderate offshore, but that energy is 4804. It's big and powerful, a real challenge. The afternoon drops to 8.2ft with a moderate offshore, but it's a bit choppy from the cross-offshore angle.

Sunday, August 9th, is a recovery day. A 5.9ft SW swell in the morning, nothing special. The afternoon is where it gets interesting again: 7.2ft SW with a glassy surface. A nice, sneaky good session.

Then the second week arrives, and it's all about the monsters. From Monday, August 10th, through Wednesday, August 12th, we're looking at 16.4ft to 23.0ft of WSW and SW swell. The wave energy spikes up to crazy levels like 10388, 12416, and even 32418. The wind is offshore or cross-offshore, so the faces will be clean. But make no mistake, this is strictly for big wave chargers and tow-in crews

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon night, min 9°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Tue night, light winds from the SW by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Thu night, fresh winds from the NNW by Sat night).

Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
0
!
!
0
0
!
2
4
4
4
4
4
!
!
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)
2.5
SW
14
2.1
SSW
16
3
SSW
15
7
SW
13
6
SW
16
5
SW
15
3.5
SW
13
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
2
SW
12
1.9
SW
12
1.7
SSW
17
3
SW
18
3.5
SW
17
3
SW
16
3.5
WSW
16
3.5
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2322
2023
3394
16197
18313
10273
4760
2561
2114
1427
1255
1076
1059
1588
5921
6552
4493
6423
4590
Wind (km/h)
35
NNW
40
NNW
45
W
55
WSW
35
SW
30
SW
20
SW
20
W
20
WSW
5
NW
10
NW
10
W
10
N
15
N
20
NNW
30
N
25
WSW
25
SW
10
SW
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
1:12PM0.92m
1:30PM0.95m
00:00AM0.43m
1:48PM0.97m
00:41AM0.49m
2:05PM0.97m
1:17AM0.55m
2:21PM0.95m
1:52AM0.60m
2:36PM0.91m
2:26AM0.65m
Low Tide
4:17AM0.21m
5:21AM0.17m
9:02PM0.39m
6:05AM0.13m
8:47PM0.38m
6:41AM0.11m
8:46PM0.36m
7:14AM0.12m
8:52PM0.32m
7:46AM0.15m
9:01PM0.28m
cloud
rain showers
light rain
mod rain
rain showers
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:33
7:31
7:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:40
 mm
2
4
8
1
1
2
1
3
Temp °C
13
12
9
11
11
11
10
11
11
11
12
11
11
13
14
10
11
11
11
Feels °C
5
4
-1
0
3
3
4
6
6
9
10
8
9
8
9
5
4
4
6
  • 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
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for The Cutting:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Cutting surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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

Nearest locationNearest