The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

Read more