Surf Forecasts:
Apollo Bay surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with 9,566 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Apollo Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Apollo Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 2.0m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Apollo Bay in the next 16 days are 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Apollo Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, let’s have a look at what Apollo Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. This wave forecast is a bit of a slow burner, but there's a real cracker of a weekend coming up for those who know what they're doing.
The water temp here is sitting around 57°, which is just about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Things are pretty quiet to kick things off. Thursday the 20th is small with a clean 2ft swell from the WSW and a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s a bit weak, with combined energy at 298, but it's a nice little intro for the beginners.
Friday the 21st starts to wake up. The morning brings a clean 4ft groundswell from the SW with a 15-second period and a moderate offshore wind. That’s a nice paddling window. But the real story kicks off Friday afternoon. We’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the WSW, clean as a whistle with offshore wind. The energy is pumping at 4289, and the period is a good 14 seconds. This is getting exciting for the experienced crew.
Now, here’s the standout of the whole outlook. Saturday the 22nd is an absolute beast. Morning and afternoon both deliver a whopping 15ft swell from the WSW, with strong offshore winds. The combined wave energy is off the charts at 11726 and 10272. This is big, powerful, very long-period groundswell. This is strictly for expert surfers only—this size will be too much for anyone else. That SW optimum direction is a perfect match for Apollo Bay's layout, and that offshore wind is going to groom it into perfection. This is as good as it gets for the hardcore.
Sunday the 23rd settles down a notch but is still brilliant. Clean 6ft to 7ft swell from the SW with a very long 16-second period and light offshore breezes. The energy is still strong at over 1900. It’s a great day for experienced surfers who want a slightly less hectic session.
Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th is a mixed bag. Monday offers clean but smaller 5ft to 5ft swell, though the wind is more cross-offshore. By Tuesday morning, the swell kicks back up to 10ft, but it gets messy with cross-shore winds in the afternoon, creating a cross-chop. The quality drops off noticeably.
From Wednesday the 26th through the end of the month, things are underwhelming. The swell drops below 5ft, and while there are some clean windows, the energy is low, and the conditions are marginal. There are a few days with very long period groundswell (like the 19-second period on the 31st), but the size is too tiny to do much with. It’s a real lull.
Looking into the first week of September, there’s a glimmer. Tuesday the 1st of September starts with glassy conditions and a 5ft swell from the WSW, but the period is short at 9 seconds, so it won't have much punch. Wednesday the 2nd has a massive 15ft pulse from the WSW in the afternoon, but the cross-shore wind holds it back from being epic. It’s a wildcard.
Finally, Thursday the 3rd brings clean 7ft to 6ft swell from the SW with good period, a solid session for experienced surfers.
And then look out for Friday the 4th of September. The afternoon delivers another absolute monster: a 15ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period, moderate offshore wind, and exceptional energy at 11699. This is another expert-only, world-class day if you can get out there.
So, to wrap it up: the absolute standouts are Saturday the 22nd of August and Friday the 4th of September. Both are massive, clean, offshore, and powerful. Everything else is either for beginners on the small days or a bit of a waiting game.
Stay safe out there, and keep your wits about you on the big days.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the S by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
166 | 452 | 516 | 3420 | 7505 | 9409 | 7908 | 2416 | 1418 | 1929 | 1361 | 902 | 787 | 804 | 3416 | 2392 | 1787 | 663 | 653 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:46PM2.00m | 4:59AM1.78m | 6:35PM1.86m | 5:23AM1.65m | 7:37PM1.74m | 5:45AM1.53m | 9:07PM1.67m | 6:06AM1.41m | 10:43PM1.71m | 7:14AM1.29m | 11:50PM1.81m | 10:52AM1.33m | 00:32AM1.91m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:30PM0.95m | 11:34AM0.32m | 00:08AM1.11m | 12:11PM0.44m | 00:56AM1.26m | 12:56PM0.56m | 3:19AM1.37m | 2:08PM0.69m | 6:21AM1.29m | 4:01PM0.74m | 6:44AM1.17m | 5:21PM0.71m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | 7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Feels °C | 11 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 9 |
166 | 452 | 516 | 701 | 1611 | 2295 | 2247 | 2416 | 1418 | 1929 | 1361 | 902 | 787 | 804 | 677 | 690 | 1787 | 663 | 653 | 100 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | E 7 | SW 6 | SW 18 | — | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | S 15 | — | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | SSW 12 | — | SW 13 |
132 | 1 | 33 | 168 | — | 22 | 117 | 306 | 679 | — | 4 | — | 15 | 82 | 410 | 376 | 3 | 317 | — | 167 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | — | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | S 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | — | — | — | SW 16 |
5 | — | 149 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | 175 | — | — | — | 91 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 2 | WSW 7 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | SW 13 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — |
— | 1 | 83 | 3420 | 7505 | 9409 | 7908 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3416 | 2392 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 352 | 240 | 375 | 129 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Otway | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Apollo Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Apollo Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Apollo Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Apollo Bay 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 (Apollo Bay) 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 Apollo Bay 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.
Apollo Bay is 91 km (57 miles) from the city of Geelong West. If you plan a holiday in Cape Otway, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong West. Geelong West has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











