
Surf Forecasts:
The Cutting surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 13,578 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 5.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Cutting over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the surf for The Cutting over the next couple of weeks. Let’s be straight with you from the jump: if you’re not an experienced surfer, this stretch might be a watch-and-wait kind of deal. The wave energy here is pumping in a big way, but it’s going to be a serious beast for most of the period.
We’ve got a run of solid, powerful SW groundswell hitting us, and the combined energy readings are off the charts – we’re talking values between 1673 and 15977, which is strong to very strong energy. That’s a lot of ocean moving around. The swell is consistently coming from the SW to SSW, with period hanging around 12 to 17 seconds for much of it. That’s proper groundswell, long-period stuff, which is going to mean clean, lined-up waves at this exposed spot, but also some serious size and power.
The best time to get on it – and I mean the absolute standout – is Tuesday 21st July. Tuesday morning is looking primo: a clean, 8ft SW swell at 13 seconds, with a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze from the N. That’s glassy, clean, and the combined energy is a whopping 2036. It’s right in that sweet spot for intermediates and up, but given the crowd can be “sometimes”, you might have some company for those excellent waves. Tuesday afternoon stays good too – 7ft WSW swell, still clean with a 12 mph NNW offshore. That afternoon has a combined energy of 1673.
Now, after that, things get rowdy. From Thursday 23rd July right through to the end of the month, the swell pumps up over 13ft, hitting 18ft by Friday the 24th and again on Wednesday the 29th. The wind turns cross to cross-on, which is going to lump things up. The forecast basically says “too big for this break.” For most of us, that’s a no-go zone – this is strictly big-wave chargers only. If the wind gets messy, and with that much size, I’d even say this setup at The Cutting might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that stormy stretch. For a regular surfer, you’re looking at a blank run from Wednesday 23rd morning all the way through until the end of July, with only a couple of smaller windows.
We get a little breather on Sunday 26th July – it drops back to 8ft SW with a 12 mph cross-off from the WNW. That afternoon session looks clean, with a combined energy of 2873. A solid option for the brave. Then it jumps straight back up.
Looking into the first week of August, we see a little hope. Saturday 1st August brings a 10ft SSW swell with a fresh 22 mph NNE offshore. That’s clean, but still hefty over 8ft – expert territory. After that, the swell fades through Sunday and into Monday the 3rd, but the wind turns to a strong cross-on, and the quality drops badly. By Wednesday 5th August, we’re back to a 10ft SW groundswell with a 9 mph cross-off from the WNW, and it’s clean again. But again, that’s big.
So, for the everyday surfer, the pick of the fortnight is definitely Tuesday 21st July. It’s the only true standout where the conditions line up perfectly for a powerful, rideable swell without it being a complete battlefield. For the rest, it’s a heavy, committed session for the experts only.
Water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing radical to report.
Stay safe out there, keep your wits about you, and don’t get caught inside on the big ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu night, light winds from the WSW by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1860 | 2036 | 1673 | 1277 | 666 | 2013 | 6237 | 7374 | 8370 | 11477 | 13576 | 9513 | 7565 | 5514 | 4777 | 3102 | 1715 | 1542 | 2080 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 3:51AM0.68m | 3:10PM0.78m | 4:45AM0.67m | 3:13PM0.75m | 5:51AM0.65m | 3:03PM0.72m | 2:20PM0.72m | 1:03PM0.76m | 12:45PM0.82m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 9:14AM0.38m | 10:02PM0.15m | 9:39AM0.48m | 10:29PM0.14m | 9:53AM0.57m | 10:56PM0.15m | 11:26PM0.17m | 00:07AM0.21m | 1:58AM0.23m | ||||||||||
— | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | — | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 |
1860 | 2036 | 1673 | 1277 | 666 | — | 5290 | 7374 | 7607 | — | 13576 | 9513 | 6644 | — | 4777 | 3102 | 1715 | 1256 | 1498 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | SSE 10 | S 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 34 | 31 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | SW 16 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 41 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | W 7 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | — | SW 14 | SW 15 | — | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
4 | — | — | 5 | 246 | 2013 | 6237 | — | 8370 | 11477 | — | — | 7565 | 5514 | — | — | — | 1542 | 2080 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 121 | 145 | 108 | 145 | 721 | 566 | 108 | 129 | 145 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
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










