The Cutting Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.41° S 142.52° E

The Cutting Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Cutting sea temperature is
13.9°C
0.4° 

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 25 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 19s period, SSW swell with 10,717 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s 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 (Aug 25) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Cutting in the next 16 days are 4.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Tue 25th Aug)8ft (2.5m) 13s
Best Surf10AM (Fri 28th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 17s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 30th Aug)13ft (4.0m) 19s

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


The Lowdown

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about The Cutting for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a wild mix coming – plenty of swell, but it’s mostly going to be way too much for this spot. The real standout window is a short one, so we need to be sharp.

The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are messy, with moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions, not worth a paddle out. The swell is hanging around 8 ft but the quality is poor.

Then things get interesting. Thursday morning the 27th is our first real chance – a cleaner session with 4 ft WSW swell (894 combined energy), light NW winds, and clean conditions. But the highlight is Thursday afternoon. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW at 13 seconds, with light W cross-offshore winds and clean lines. It’s excellent for experienced surfers, and the better shape with that longer period makes it the true standout of the whole forecast. Water temp is 57°F, which is about average for the time of year here.

Friday the 28th gets serious – it’s big. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period early, and 16 seconds in the afternoon. That’s over 8 ft, so experts only. But the comment says it’s simply too big for this break. The combined energy is massive (5853, then 4762). Don’t bother unless you’re a big-wave charger with a lot of respect for this place.

Saturday the 29th and Monday the 31st stay big and not ideal, with messy conditions and strong cross-onshore winds. Too much size, not enough quality.

Sunday the 30th morning is a little treat – glassy conditions with 8 ft SW swell and a 13-second period (3121 energy). It’s still big, but that glassy surface makes it look clean and tempting for the more experienced crew. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so keep an eye out.

From Tuesday the 1st of September, things get chaotic. Strong winds – up to 25 mph and 28 mph – and lumpy, messy cross-onshore surf. The swell stays around 7 ft to 10 ft, but the wind ruins everything. Not worth it.

There’s a brief recovery on Friday the 4th of September morning. Clean conditions with a 6 ft SW swell from the 16-second period and 3572 energy. Offshore WNW winds, and it looks excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid second option, but still not as good as Thursday afternoon the 27th.

The rest of the second week, from the 5th of September onward, is again too big. Swells consistently over 10 ft, often 16 ft or more, with mostly fresh onshore winds or strong cross-offshore. The energy readings are massive (over 6000, even 27428) but it’s all for the experts and only if they have the right craft. In fact, on the 9th of September, 20 ft swell with 19 mph cross-shore wind, this setup looks a lot more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Bottom line: don’t mess with the first few days. If you want the best, be at The Cutting on Thursday afternoon the 27th for that 5 ft SW, clean, cross-off session. Sunday morning the 30th is also glassy but bigger. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or both. This place can be inconsistent, but right now it’s more about consistent size. Stay smart out there.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
1
0
1
2
4
3
4
4
!
!
!
3
2
4
5
!
!
!
!
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SW
13
2.5
SW
13
3
SW
14
2.5
SW
13
2.4
SW
13
2.2
SW
12
1.2
WSW
12
1.6
SW
13
2.4
WSW
13
3
SW
17
3
SW
16
3
SW
16
2.4
SW
14
2.1
SW
14
1.8
SW
13
2.4
SW
13
4
SSW
19
4
SSW
17
3.5
SW
16
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2345
2399
3208
2248
1915
1427
405
905
1944
5853
4762
4032
2358
1737
1144
1903
10717
9026
6444
5201
3231
Wind (km/h)
10
ESE
20
SW
25
SW
20
SW
15
SW
10
NNW
15
NW
10
W
20
WNW
15
S
10
S
5
N
5
W
15
SSW
5
SW
5
NW
10
SSW
10
NNE
15
NNW
25
NNW
25
NNW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
off
cross
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
12:50PM0.87m
00:11AM0.35m
12:58PM0.90m
00:10AM0.43m
1:09PM0.92m
00:29AM0.51m
1:21PM0.92m
00:52AM0.59m
1:33PM0.90m
1:18AM0.68m
1:44PM0.86m
1:45AM0.75m
1:52PM0.81m
2:13AM0.81m
Low Tide
9:23PM0.33m
4:49AM0.27m
8:29PM0.35m
5:37AM0.21m
8:04PM0.35m
6:13AM0.17m
7:54PM0.33m
6:45AM0.15m
7:52PM0.29m
7:15AM0.16m
7:55PM0.24m
7:44AM0.20m
8:01PM0.18m
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:01
6:02
6:04
6:04
6:05
6:06
 mm
6
1
Temp °C
12
13
12
12
11
11
13
14
12
12
11
10
10
10
9
10
11
10
16
17
14
Feels °C
12
10
7
8
7
9
10
11
9
9
8
9
7
6
7
8
8
8
11
12
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for The Cutting:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Cutting surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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

Nearest locationNearest