The Cutting, Australia

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Warrnambool, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PTJ (PTJ), 78 km.

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About The Cutting

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (184°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (4°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 14°C in August, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 18°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually June, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Warrnambool, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PTJ (PTJ), 78 km.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 32 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Melbourne Airport (MEL), changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
See flights MDW → MEL · Skyscanner from about £855 returnAd
Getting there. 4 h 15 from the airport to The Cutting.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Warrnambool, 11 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: PTJ (PTJ), 78 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in The Cutting · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in The Cutting · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Cutting on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at The Cutting, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	47, fair	3 ft10 scrumbling	131kJ	wind from the north-east, 8 knots, offshore	25°C
Mon 19Oct	60, good	4 ft11 scrumbling	443kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 12 knots, offshore	25°C
Tue 20Oct	56, good	5 ft10 scrumbling	422kJ	wind from the north, 7 knots, offshore	23°C
Wed 21Oct	26, poor	5 ft9 ssoft	363kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots	17°C
Thu 22Oct	0, too big	8 ft11 ssoft	1,685kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 10 knots	28°C
Fri 23Oct	0, too big	8 ft11 ssoft	1,347kJ	wind from the north, 9 knots	25°C
Sat 24Oct	0, too big	8 ft11 smushy	1,288kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots	16°C
Sun 25Oct	0, too big	7 ft11 ssoft	944kJ	wind from the north-west, 6 knots	15°C
Mon 26Oct	0, too big	9 ft9 smushy	1,223kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots	11°C
Tue 27Oct	0, too big	7 ft10 ssoft	782kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots	13°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 4h 15 by road. About 32h 05 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf The Cutting
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf The Cutting
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 5 kn (10 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly MDW to MEL, changing at LAX, then 4h 15 by road. About 32h 05 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,350–£2,655 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return MDW to MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£855–£1,780
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£110–£180
Food	7 days eating out	£245–£455
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£105–£175
Total		£1,350–£2,655

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

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Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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