Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 9,547 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 3.0m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 1.2m and 18s is also forecast. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, let's talk about the next couple weeks. The big story is that The Cutting is seeing some serious, raw energy, but it's going to be too much of a good thing for a while. The water is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing crazy there.
The first real chance for a surf is on Monday, the 24th of August. The swell has dropped to a very manageable 7ft to 8ft range from the SW, and the wind is going offshore. The morning is looking the best with a clean 8ft SW and a moderate offshore breeze. The afternoon is still clean with the same offshore wind. This is the standout window for the experienced crew, as that size is a proper handful for a beginner. The combined energy of the swell is moderate, at 2187.
We then hit a rough patch from Tuesday the 25th right through to Wednesday the 27th. The wind goes onshore and it gets real choppy. It's basically a write-off for a few days, so don't even bother looking at it.
Thursday the 27th morning offers a slight reprieve. The wind swings offshore again and we get a cleaner 4ft SW (997 energy) – it's small but clean.
Friday the 28th morning is another one to watch, but for the big dogs only. The swell jumps back up to 10ft, but the wind is a clean cross-off. The problem? At that height, and with a 17-second period, this wave has a ton of power and size, making it an experts-only zone. It's not a beginner's game.
After that, the onshores return for the weekend and into Monday the 31st. Monday morning the 31st has some cleaner potential with an 8ft SW swell and cross-off winds, but there are some tricky tide issues. The real standout for the very end of the forecast is Thursday, September 3rd. The wind goes offshore again, but it's blowing a strong 30 to 40 km/h. That makes for an incredibly clean face, but it'll be a fight to get out there. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft to 6ft, so for the hardy locals who can handle that paddle, it'll be worth it.
After that, the forecast gets wild again. The 4th and 5th of September are looking at a massive 13ft to 15ft SW swell. The combined energy spikes to a massive 14470. The wind stays favorable, but this is a serious, dangerous event. This is not for the faint of heart; only absolute experts should even think about it.
So, to sum it up: your best bet is Monday the 24th for a proper session. Thursday the 3rd of September is a promising, but a more difficult, alternative for the experienced surfer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri night, calm by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the N by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3495 | 6564 | 8970 | 9012 | 6532 | 3901 | 5428 | 3197 | 2171 | 1657 | 1583 | 2381 | 2318 | 2598 | 1975 | 1569 | 970 | 410 | 1173 | 8081 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:45AM0.64m | 1:57PM0.74m | 1:16PM0.77m | 12:51PM0.82m | 12:50PM0.87m | 00:11AM0.35m | 12:58PM0.90m | 00:10AM0.43m | 1:09PM0.92m | 00:29AM0.51m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:53PM0.11m | 8:47AM0.61m | 10:11PM0.16m | 10:26PM0.21m | 10:23PM0.27m | 9:23PM0.33m | 4:49AM0.27m | 8:29PM0.35m | 5:37AM0.21m | 8:04PM0.35m | ||||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 13 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 2847 | 6564 | 8970 | 9012 | 6532 | 3901 | 5428 | 3197 | 2171 | 1657 | 1583 | 2381 | 2318 | 2598 | 1975 | 1569 | 970 | 315 | 1173 | 8081 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | — | SSW 24 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 21 | — |
| kJ | 1201 | — | 54 | 305 | 872 | 1777 | — | — | 16 | 60 | 112 | 589 | 661 | — | — | 246 | 310 | 410 | 1128 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 24 | S 13 | S 12 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 85 | 71 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | — |
| kJ | 3495 | 796 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 108 | 128 | 76 | 76 | 24 | 35 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 108 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
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
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