The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.6° 

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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 25,267 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period with WSW 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 05) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.5m 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 6.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4PM (Sat 5th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 15s
Best Surf 4PM (Sat 5th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 15s
Most Powerful10PM (Wed 9th Sep)21ft (6.5m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break this down. We got one main spot to talk about for this whole run, and she's a beaut, but she's got a mean streak. The big story is a whole lot of southwest groundswell filling in, but for the first week, it's mostly just going to be too damn big and messy. We gotta be patient and find the windows.

Kicking off this Saturday the 5th, the swell is already cranking. We're looking at waves around 11.5ft with a 15-second period, and the energy is strong, reading 6854. It's a cross-offshore wind but blowing a solid 25 mph, which will keep it a bit rough. It's simply too big for this break. Same story on Sunday the 6th. Still around 10ft, cross-shore winds, and the energy is strong, in the 3200-4500 range. Not the day for a paddle, unless you're looking to get spat out and rag-dolled.

Monday the 7th, the swell drops, but so does the quality. The size is down to about 5.5ft, but the period is shorter at 12 seconds, and it gets jumbled. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore and turns it into a closeout. That kicks off a bit of a lull. Tuesday the 8th is a tease. The morning has a clean 6.5ft swell on a nice 18-second period, but the energy is only moderate at 3996, and it just doesn't feel right. The afternoon is back to 10ft, and it's too big again.

And then, things go off the rails. From Wednesday the 9th into Thursday the 10th, the ocean explodes. We're talking serious, XXL swell, hitting 16 to 20ft with energy readings in the 12,000 to 28,000 range. Periods are long, 16-18 seconds. This is as big as it gets, and it’s way, way beyond this spot's limit. Winds are cross-onshore, and it's just a churning, angry ocean. This is strictly for the chargers with a ski, and even then, it's risky.

Now, here’s the first window we're looking for. Friday the 11th, morning session. The swell settles to a still-hefty 11.5ft on a 14-second pulse, but the wind drops to a dead flat calm, a light southerly. The energy is strong at 5534. The direction is SSW, which is perfect for this break. For a few hours, we're going to have a big, powerful, glassy freight train. It will still be heavy, but it will be clean. This is the standout of the first week, no doubt. The afternoon gets a bit of a sea breeze, so the morning is the call.

The weekend of the 12th and 13th stays active. Saturday the 12th has 10ft of swell on a 15-second period, with the wind going offshore from the NNW at around 9 mph in the morning. The energy holds strong at 4650. Still big, but much cleaner. Sunday the 13th is a touch smaller, around 7.5-8ft, but the wind is offshore again. The afternoon on Sunday looks great: moderate offshore wind, clean faces, and a decent size. That's a good call for the experienced surfers.

Monday the 14th, the swell backs off to a fun size of about 4.5ft with a clean cross-offshore breeze. It's a low-energy day though, down at 1181, so it's more of a longboard or groveler session.

Then we hit a wall. From Tuesday the 15th through Wednesday the 16th, the surf is up again, but it's a complete write-off. Strong onshore winds, stormy 13 to 18ft swell, and awful conditions. The energy readings are high, 6536 to 9126, but it's all just bone-breaking mess. This might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.

The final stretch, from Thursday the 17th to Saturday the 19th, is all about smaller, cleaner options. Nothing like the earlier bombs. The swell drops to around 6-7ft, the period shortens, and it becomes a much more manageable size. The standout here is Saturday morning, the 19th. A clean 6.8ft of southwest swell on a 15-second period, with light, cross-offshore winds. The energy is moderate at 2619, but it should be glassy and offer some long, punchy walls. This is a great one for the average surfer.

Then Sunday the 20th shows another pulse of 10ft swell with a long-period, and the wind is offshore. It's big and powerful again, with a strong energy reading of 6640. That looks promising for the experts, but it's a long way out, so we'll keep an eye on it.

In short, it's a fortnight of extremes. The two true standouts are Friday the 11th morning for the big-wave crew, and

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat morning, calm by Mon night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue night, calm by Thu night).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
!
!
!
!
2
2
0
5
3
!
0
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3.5
SW
15
4.5
WSW
15
4
SW
12
3
SW
14
3
SW
13
2.5
SW
12
1.7
WSW
12
2.2
SW
9
2.3
SW
12
2
SW
18
3
SW
17
4
SW
16
5
SW
16
6
SSW
18
6.5
SSW
18
5.5
SSW
17
5
SSW
16
4
SSW
15
3.5
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
14
3.5
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
6000
8541
4972
4163
3153
1794
835
703
1539
2402
5080
7763
12556
22268
24884
18829
12833
8051
5534
5375
6148
Wind (km/h)
40
NW
40
WNW
35
WSW
20
W
20
WSW
20
W
20
WSW
20
S
5
S
15
W
25
WSW
35
SSW
30
SSW
30
SW
20
SW
20
SW
15
WSW
10
SW
5
S
15
SSE
15
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
on
glassy
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross-off
High Tide
1:26PM0.77m
5:49AM0.67m
1:10PM0.82m
1:00PM0.86m
12:55PM0.88m
12:53PM0.88m
11:50PM0.40m
12:54PM0.86m
00:05AM0.53m
12:56PM0.82m
00:33AM0.67m
Low Tide
9:17PM0.02m
7:33AM0.67m
9:41PM0.06m
10:05PM0.15m
10:14PM0.26m
8:56PM0.37m
5:13AM0.24m
7:39PM0.40m
6:00AM0.21m
7:09PM0.34m
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:47
6:46
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:15
6:15
 mm
1
3
1
1
1
Temp °C
14
12
12
13
13
12
12
11
9
11
11
11
11
11
10
11
11
11
12
11
11
Feels °C
5
4
4
10
9
8
8
6
6
6
5
5
3
3
5
7
8
9
9
8
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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

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