
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 28ft (8.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 41,695 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period with SW 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 07) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. 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 8.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) 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 1.4m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 28ft (8.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here. Let’s break down what The Cutting has cooking for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a fair bit of juice coming in from the south, but this spot can get real mean when the swell gets big, so we gotta be smart.
Overall Look & The Start
Things get going slow. On Thursday (August 6th) we have a 4ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, but the wind is cross-off. Water temp is 58°, which is about normal. The energy is moderate (915). It’s just okay, nothing to write home about. The swell bumps up in the afternoon to 5ft.
Friday, August 7th – The First Highlight
Friday morning is where the party starts. A solid 10ft SW groundswell rolls in with a strong energy reading (3813). The wind is light offshore from the north at 6 mph. That’s a proper wave, but it’s over 8ft, which puts it in the “experts only” zone. Beginners, this one’s not for you. The afternoon goes glassy with 8ft waves—a beautiful window for the experienced crew.
Saturday & Sunday, August 8th & 9th
Saturday has the swell dropping to 8ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph from the NNE, making it messy and cross-off. Sunday is a better bet. The morning has a clean 6ft wave with a moderate offshore breeze. The afternoon is a real gem: a 5ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds with a light offshore. That’s a solid, fun session for intermediates.
Monday, August 10th – The Big Stuff Arrives
Now, The Cutting gets absolutely hammered. Monday morning brings a 15ft monster (23961 energy) from the WSW at 17 seconds. This is massive and dangerous, only for a handful of nutcases. This pattern holds for days. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (August 11th to 13th) see waves well over 8ft, hitting 20ft and even 26ft. The energy readings are staggering – 76153 on Thursday morning. That’s a full-blown ocean, and it’s way too big for this break. The wind turns crappy and cross-onshore for much of this, so it’s more of a look-don’t-touch situation.
The Dry Spell & Return to Fun
After that massive pulse, conditions go poor to dangerous for nearly a week. Keep your board waxed, but don’t bother driving out.
Monday, August 17th – The Next Window
Finally, on Monday the 17th of August, things get good again. The swell drops to 7ft from the SW with a light offshore wind in the morning. The energy is moderate (1527). By afternoon, it goes glassy and drops to 6ft. This is your chance to get a proper clean session in with a nice long-period groundswell.
The Two Best Bets
If I have to call it, Friday morning (August 7th) is the pick for the big-wave hunters – clean, powerful, and glassy. For the rest of us, Monday afternoon (August 17th) is the standout. Glassy conditions, 6ft swell from the SW, and manageable energy. Sunday afternoon (August 9th) with that gentle offshore and clean 5ft swell is a very close second.
Crowds & Final Word
The Cutting is consistent, so when it’s good, expect some company (crowds are “sometimes”). On the big days, it’ll be just the hardcore crew. For the smaller, cleaner windows, it’ll get busy. Just keep your head on a swivel and know your limits.
Stay salty, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the NNE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
644 | 1200 | 2741 | 3539 | 2717 | 3927 | 2668 | 2525 | 2114 | 1253 | 1029 | 6142 | 12852 | 9898 | 6185 | 3699 | 1890 | 4242 | 14839 | 22229 | 36325 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:36PM0.71m | 5:13AM0.70m | 2:06PM0.73m | 1:30PM0.79m | 1:10PM0.87m | 1:10PM0.93m | 1:19PM0.97m | 1:29PM0.97m | |||||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.11m | 9:26AM0.60m | 10:01PM0.08m | 10:25PM0.07m | 11:00PM0.09m | 00:07AM0.15m | 4:13AM0.16m | ||||||||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 18 | — | — |
644 | 1200 | 2741 | 3539 | 2717 | 3927 | 2668 | 2525 | 2114 | 1253 | 932 | 6142 | 11109 | 9898 | 6185 | 3699 | 1890 | 4242 | 14839 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 6 | SW 19 | S 6 | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | SW 20 | — | — | — |
202 | 21 | 11 | 30 | 1026 | 11 | — | — | — | 432 | 1029 | — | — | — | — | — | 575 | 2587 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 20 | SSE 8 | SW 20 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | — | — | — | — |
69 | 61 | 12 | 244 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | W 6 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | — | WSW 7 | WSW 17 | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | — | WSW 17 | SW 16 |
10 | 80 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 12 | 21 | 50 | — | 561 | 12852 | — | — | 29 | 19 | 55 | — | 22229 | 36325 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 24 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 0 | 389 | 145 | 24 | 121 | 120 | 625 | 659 | 121 | 482 | 145 |
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











