The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at a wild stretch ahead for The Cutting. We’ve got a serious south-west groundswell train coming in, and honestly, for the next few days, it’s going to be way too much. A massive 13-foot SW groundswell (period 15 seconds) is pouring in right now, packing a huge 6960 in combined energy. That's just raw power, and it's overwhelming the break. It'll look like a washing machine out there, not a surf spot, unless you're looking for a beatdown. The water temp is 58°, which is normal for this time of year, so you don't need the thickest wetsuit on that front, but you'll be in it more than on it. This heavy swell hangs in through Friday as well with 10-foot to 11-foot waves (combined energy still well over 4000). Even with the light offshore on Friday morning, those are for the brave, not for fun.

The first real turn comes Saturday morning, the 18th of July. The swell finally drops to a still-chunky 8 feet, but it's a clean, long-period SW groundswell (14 seconds), and we've got a light cross-offshore breeze. This is where it becomes excellent for experienced surfers only. The combined energy is down to 2334, which tells you there's still serious weight, but it's organized. Saturday afternoon is even cleaner with lighter wind and a 7-foot swell. These two sessions are the standouts for the big-wave crew.

By Sunday the 19th, everything settles. We drop to a much friendlier 5 feet from the WSW with a clean northerly offshore wind. That'll be really fun for everyone. The combined energy is under 1000, making it feel much more manageable. That mellow, clean vibe carries into Monday the 20th, with a 6-foot WSW swell, a 16-second period, and a moderate offshore. The wave quality should be excellent there too, with the longer period really tidying things up on the face.

We get a bit of a lull from Tuesday the 21st through Wednesday the 22nd with mixed conditions and some "marginal" flags on the forecast. Not bad, but not the highlight.

Then, from Thursday the 23rd, the big swell is back. We see 8 feet ramping up to 11 feet by the afternoon. That's combined energy jumping to 6345. It is clean, but again, that is a lot of water moving and it will be for the experienced-only crowd again. Friday the 24th is blown out with strong cross-shore wind. The following Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th clean up with NNW winds and head-high waves in the 8-foot to 10-foot range. That window is another sweet spot for the good surfers.

Then, brace yourselves. The 27th of July (Monday) is the biggest pulse of the whole run. A massive 15-foot to 16-foot WSW swell hits combined with strong offshore wind. We're talking a combined energy of 13,583 to 15,780. That is absolute limit stuff at The Cutting. Pure madness for the experts who know what they're doing. The rest of that week into August is a mix of big, sloppy, and blown-out conditions or more solid swell with dodgy winds. Honestly, ignore the last few days of the month from the 28th onwards; it’s a lot of onshore wind and messy big swells.

So, the pick of the fortnight? Easy. For the big wave chargers, it's Saturday morning the 18th of July. 8-foot SW groundswell (14 seconds) with a clean cross-offshore NW breeze. For a more relaxed, fun day for good surfers, Monday morning the 20th of July is your spot. A 6-foot WSW long-period swell (16 seconds) and a moderate offshore from the NNW, with a combined energy of 1446.

Rusty.

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