
Surf Forecasts:
Apollo Bay surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SW swell with 3,963 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 15s 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 (Jul 17) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Apollo Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Apollo Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's take a look at what's on the table for our stretch of coast. It's a bit of a slow dance to start, so don't be in a rush to grab the board.
First up, we've got Apollo Bay. Water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year, nothing wild there.
The best early action kicks off Thursday afternoon, the 16th of July. We're looking at a solid 8ft swell from the southwest, with a long 15-second period. That's proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a hefty 2392, so there's plenty of push. It's a bit meaty though, so this is one for the experienced crew only. Winds are light offshore, so the face should be clean and lined up.
Moving into Friday the 17th, the swell eases a touch to 7ft from the same southwest direction, but the period stretches to 16 seconds – real juice. The morning has a cross-off breeze, but come Friday afternoon, the wind goes glassy. That's a major plus, giving you a super-smooth surface. The combined energy is still strong at 1654.
As we head into the weekend, the swell drops right off. Saturday the 18th sees it shrink to 4ft, and by Sunday we're down under 3ft. The wind is still nice and light, occasionally glassy, making for clean little waves. It's not going to be pumping, but if you just want a paddle and a few crumbly ones, you'll find it.
There's a bit of a lull through the middle of the next week, with small waves and ordinary conditions. Then things start to look seriously interesting from a week out, on Friday the 24th of July. There's a big pulse coming. Friday morning is showing a 16ft southwest swell, with a 14-second period. The combined energy is enormous at 12274. That is a massive, powerful swell. The wind is fresh offshore, but at that size, this is purely for the elite, and even then it's going to be a handful.
The real standout window, though, looks like it's building towards the end of the second week. Keep an eye on Sunday the 26th of July afternoon. We've got an 12ft southwest swell, 12-second period, with a gentle offshore wind. At that size, it's still big and powerful, but the wind should groom it nicely for Apollo Bay. Then into Monday the 27th, we see another 12ft pulse, this time from the south-southwest with a very long 18-second period. That's all deep ocean energy, and combined with a gentle offshore, it's going to produce some seriously long, grinding walls. The energy reading is 8173. That, right there, is the pick of the forecast for the whole 16 days. It's a long way out, so keep your fingers crossed that it holds, but if it does, that Monday morning is going to be special for those who can handle it.
After that, the swell slowly eases back into solid but manageable 8ft to 6ft surf through the end of July and into the first day of August, with mostly good offshore winds keeping things tidy.
So, the call from me: Thursday 16th is a solid early hit for the experienced guys. But if you're looking for the standout of the whole run, pencil in Monday the 27th of July. That south-southwest swell with the 18-second period and light offshore wind is the one you want to be chasing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1669 | 2027 | 1654 | 924 | 639 | 451 | 219 | 140 | 123 | 150 | 326 | 220 | 211 | 401 | 458 | 206 | 94 | 81 | 1624 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:16AM2.42m | 2:07PM1.87m | 2:55AM2.40m | 3:03PM1.95m | 3:31AM2.34m | 3:56PM1.99m | 4:06AM2.24m | 4:48PM1.99m | 4:40AM2.10m | 5:40PM1.96m | 5:12AM1.95m | 6:35PM1.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:35AM0.71m | 8:17PM0.26m | 9:14AM0.54m | 9:05PM0.36m | 9:53AM0.40m | 9:51PM0.49m | 10:31AM0.31m | 10:37PM0.65m | 11:09AM0.27m | 11:22PM0.82m | 11:48AM0.28m | 00:10AM0.99m | |||||||
— | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 |
Temp °C | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 12 |
1669 | 2027 | 1654 | 924 | 639 | 451 | 219 | 128 | 123 | 80 | 326 | 220 | 211 | 401 | 458 | 206 | 94 | 81 | 379 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | S 17 | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 11 | E 10 |
4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 106 | 140 | 87 | 150 | 33 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 167 | 82 | 57 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 19 | WSW 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 60 | 58 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 51 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | — | WSW 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1624 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
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.










