
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 8,767 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
The next couple of weeks are looking like a bit of a rollercoaster, to be honest. There’s plenty of swell on the cards, but for the most part, it’s going to be just too much for The Cutting to handle. This spot can’t handle anything too solid, and we’ve got a run of plus-sized surf that will have it shutting down and backing off. The water temp is sitting around 57°F which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so a good full suit is still the go.
Your first real chance to get wet is this Saturday morning, the 12th. There’s some good energy in the water, about 12ft of southwest swell with a solid 15-second period, and the wind is light offshore. But, here’s the thing, that wave height is going to be too much for The Cutting. It’ll be a washing machine, not a wave. The afternoon isn’t much better, dropping to 10ft but still just too big for this break to work properly.
Now, heading into Sunday the 13th, the swell eases a bit to around 7ft in the morning. There’s a fresh offshore wind that will keep things clean, but the size is still on the edge for this spot. It’s a bit marginal, but it could be worth a look if you’re an experienced surfer. The afternoon cleans up nicely, with a 7ft swell and a moderate offshore breeze. It’s a better option, but still not a classic.
Monday the 14th sees the swell drop down to 5ft, but the wind swings around to a cross-offshore, and the quality suffers. It’s a low-key day with weak energy, nothing to get too excited about.
Then we get a proper pulse of big, stormy swell from Tuesday the 15th through Wednesday the 16th. We’re talking 15ft of southwest groundswell with fresh cross-onshore winds. It’s going to be big, lumpy, and messy – a total right-off at this break. The combined energy is pumping at around 8000, but it’s all for nothing. Don’t even bother. This looks more like a kite-surfing day if you’re into that, or just stay on the beach.
Thursday the 17th, the swell backs down to 10ft, but that’s still too big for The Cutting. Light winds will make it look inviting, but the size is just too much.
We get a bit of a reprieve on Friday the 18th. The swell eases to around 8ft, but the period jumps up to 17 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell. A light cross-offshore wind should keep it reasonably clean, but it’s still on the bigger side and the tide could be tricky. It’s a bit of a gamble.
By the weekend of the 19th and 20th, the swell is still in the 8ft range, but the winds turn unfavourable, making things choppy and messy. Not looking great.
The following week starts with more of the same. Monday the 21st has some decent energy, but it's too big again. Tuesday the 22nd brings another massive 15ft swell with onshore winds, another write-off. Wednesday the 23rd drops to 10ft and goes glassy, but it's still too big. Thursday the 24th is similar, with glassy conditions but 10ft of swell.
Now, the standout window, if you’re a proper charger, looks to be Friday the 25th of September. It's a massive long-period swell, 15ft at 19 seconds, with light offshore winds. The energy reading is huge, over 13000, which tells you this is a serious, powerful groundswell. But don’t be fooled – this is a big-wave day for experts only. The Cutting just can't hold that size. It’ll be dangerous and unsurfable for most of us.
The 26th keeps the size at 10ft with a serious offshore gale, making it incredibly hard to paddle out. Too big and too wild. The 27th just cranks it all up again, with 21ft to 25ft of swell. That’s a pure novelty day, and not for surfing.
So, look. There’s a lot of swell in the forecast, but it’s a case of too much of a good thing. Right now, there are no truly epic, clean days at The Cutting on the cards. It’s either too small and weak, or way too big and messy. I’d say the closest thing to a good option is the Sunday morning session on the 13th, but even that is pretty marginal. The long-range stuff on the 25th is promising in terms of size and power, but it’s a far from certain call at this range, and it’s going to be a handful if it comes off. It’s a waiting game, as always.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue morning, calm by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4874 | 3828 | 2792 | 2197 | 1832 | 1273 | 704 | 488 | 366 | 7199 | 8237 | 7896 | 8355 | 7932 | 6389 | 3843 | 2764 | 2394 | 3668 | 2756 | 2391 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 1:49PM0.72m | 3:59AM0.76m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:58AM0.48m | 8:45PM0.05m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 |
4874 | 3828 | 2792 | 2197 | 1832 | 1273 | 704 | 488 | 281 | — | — | 7896 | 8355 | 7932 | 6389 | 3843 | 2764 | 2394 | 3668 | 2756 | 2391 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | S 11 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | SSW 20 | SW 17 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 7 | 57 | 97 | 118 | 249 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 264 | 1555 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 18 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | — | W 4 | W 5 | WSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | NNW 3 |
— | — | — | 3 | 17 | — | 11 | 65 | 366 | 7199 | 8237 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 17 | 2 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 24 | 108 | 566 | 566 | 369 | 449 | 228 | 76 | 76 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
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










