The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about The Cutting in feet and miles.

The water temp is 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no major surprises there.

The first real standout is Sunday, August 23rd. The Cutting is absolutely pumping with a solid 12-foot southerly groundswell at a massive 16 seconds. That’s a huge, long-period swell with massive energy (5428). The wind is a light cross-off from the WNW, which will keep the faces clean, but let’s be honest – this is an 12-foot swell, it’s going to be too big for most. This is expert territory only. If you’re experienced and hungry, go for it, but don’t expect a mellow session.

The conditions clean up nicely from Monday morning through to Thursday afternoon. Monday morning the 24th, the swell drops to a still very solid 8 feet from the SW with a 14-second period, and we’ve got a 9 mph offshore wind from the north. The energy is still strong (2187), and the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. Monday afternoon sees a similar setup with 7 feet and a cross-off breeze, still very good.

Thursday morning the 27th, the swell eases back to 4 feet from the SSW, but the period is a bit shorter at 12 seconds. The energy drops to 835, but the wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW. This will be a much more manageable size, good for intermediates, and the waves will be clean. Thursday afternoon the swell builds back to 5 feet, still clean, and the wind stays light.

Now, the big one. Friday, August 28th, we see a massive 10-foot SW groundswell with a period of 17 seconds – that’s very long period, big energy (5804). The wind is light cross-off on Friday morning, so the waves will be clean, but again, this is 10 feet. It’s huge, it’s powerful, and it’s only for the most experienced. Saturday the 29th, the swell holds at 8 feet with a cross-off wind, still excellent but big.

The pattern for the first week is clear: consistent, powerful SW groundswells, and mostly clean wind conditions. The best bets are the Monday morning 24th, Thursday 27th, and Friday 28th, but everything is on the bigger side.

From the 30th of August onward, the swell stays big, often over 8 feet, and the wind turns more cross or cross-on. The quality drops off. There’s a lot of energy in the water, but it’s getting messy. The standout in the second week is Tuesday, September 1st. The swell is 10 feet from the SW, period of 15 seconds, and the wind is a clean 12-15 mph cross-off from the NNW. The energy is massive (4251), and the waves will be clean and powerful. This is a promising one, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

The end of the run gets gnarly. From the 4th of September, the wind cranks up to 28-31 mph, and the swell gets even bigger – up to 15 feet. The energy readings are off the charts (11902 on the 4th afternoon). This is not surfable for paddling; it’s more of a big-wave tow-in or kite situation. The wind is so strong it’s borderline dangerous. From the 6th onward, the wind is still howling, and the swell stays big, but it’s all blown out and messy.

Honestly, the best two windows are the Monday morning of the 24th, and the Friday morning of the 28th. Both offer clean, powerful, and well-shaped waves for the experienced. The 28th is the bigger, more powerful standout, but it’s a serious wave.

Rusty.

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