The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s see what the ocean’s got cookin’ for The Cutting. This is a solid, exposed spot that knows how to handle a good SW groundswell, and boy, do we have a bit of everything over the next couple of weeks.

We start with a clean, moderate offshore breeze on Monday the 27th of July. The swell is sitting around 8ft from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, and combined wave energy is moderate. The water temp is about average for this time of year. This is solid, powerful surf that will have the more experienced surfers amongst us drooling. That NNW wind keeps it clean all day.

Heading into Tuesday the 28th, things get a bit tricky. The swell jumps up, especially in the afternoon hitting 10ft with a crazy long 15-second period, but the wind swings around and gets ugly, ruining the shape completely. It’s a write-off.

Wednesday the 29th sees the swell absolutely detonate. We’re talking 18ft from the SW with a period of 16 seconds and very strong wave energy. The wind is cross-onshore, and honestly, this is a dangerous, unmanageable wall of water. Only the absolute lunatics (and I mean that with respect) should even look at it. Thursday follows the same messy, oversized theme.

Finally, by Friday the 31st, we get a reprieve. The swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft from the SW, the wind turns light and variable, and conditions clean up nicely. The wave energy is still moderate. This is where you want to be for a solid session.

Saturday the 1st of August is the standout of the entire run. Morning brings a beautiful 4ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period and a gentle offshore breeze. Wave energy is good. The conditions are glassy and perfect. The afternoon stays clean with a 7ft SW swell. But that morning window is the one to circle.

Sunday the 2nd is also fantastic. A solid 8ft to 10ft SW swell with a long 16-second period, but the morning has a clean offshore breeze. It’s a touch big, so this is for experienced surfers only. The afternoon gets too strong.

The first week of August turns into a mixed bag. There’s a big, clean but oversized swell on Monday the 3rd (12ft), but then the wind turns onshore and makes a mess of things from Tuesday through Thursday. You’ll want to sit those days out.

Friday the 7th of August brings a return to form. A clean 6ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the afternoon is about as good as it gets: glassy, offshore conditions. This will be a classic, smooth session. Crowds are possible at The Cutting, but with conditions this good, it’ll be worth sharing the peak.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th stay clean with offshore winds, but the wind gets strong. You’ll have clean waves, but paddling out will be a workout. The swell is a manageable 5ft to 6ft.

The outlook closes out with a return of messy onshore wind after the 10th, ruining what could have been another good swell. The gap between surfable days is noticeable, with a long stretch of poor conditions in the early part of August.

- Rusty

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