
Surf Forecasts:
Apollo Bay surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 17,719 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 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 (Jul 24) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 5.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 3.5m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s is also forecast. 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 6.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 18ft (5.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 20ft (6.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Apollo Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, with a look at what Old Man Winter is dishing up for us. It’s a big, heavy-duty swell train coming our way, so let’s get into it.
First up, we’ve got a monster pulse of SW groundswell hitting Apollo Bay starting Thursday, the 23rd of July. This isn’t a day for the faint-hearted. The combined energy is massive, registering a whopping 11235 (moderate to strong wave energy) on Thursday morning, building to 12272 in the afternoon. We’re looking at a solid 15ft to 16ft of SW swell with a long 14-second period, and it’s getting cleaned up by a fresh offshore breeze. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. This is proper, powerful, groundswell. That swell direction of SW lines up perfectly with what this break wants. The crowds are only ‘sometimes’ an issue, so on a big Thursday like this, you might actually have some room.
Friday the 24th steps it up even further. The morning sees 16ft of SW swell with a 15-second period and a massive combined energy of 16461 (strong wave energy). The offshore wind holds. Friday afternoon is similar, 16ft at 14 seconds. This is absolute top-tier, expert-only territory. If you’re not 100% comfortable with big, heavy, rolling walls, give this one a miss. For the experienced crew, this is as good as it gets.
Saturday the 25th still packs a punch, but the energy drops a notch. The morning is 13ft of SW swell at 13 seconds with a combined energy of 7286 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a clean offshore from the W. This is still solid, but more manageable for strong intermediates. The afternoon drops to 13ft at 12 seconds with a lighter WSW breeze.
Sunday the 26th is the last of the big, exciting days. We’ve got 10ft of SW swell at 11 seconds in the morning, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The energy drops to 2398 (moderate wave energy). The afternoon cleans up to a 8ft swell with a true offshore wind. This is still a really good day for experienced surfers, but the size is coming down.
After that, the first week of the swell fades. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see a big drop in size and energy, with the added complication of cross-offshore winds. Wednesday the 29th, though, throws a curveball. The morning shows a massive 20ft of SW swell at 16 seconds, with a combined energy of 27618 (very strong wave energy). The finder says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a serious, bona fide swell event, but it’ll be a foamy, washing-machine mess at Apollo Bay. Not for paddling.
The rest of the week into early August is a mixed bag. Thursday the 30th brings onshore winds and lumpy conditions as the swell drops. We get a bit of a reprieve from Saturday the 1st of August, with a long-period (20-second) groundswell on the Saturday afternoon, but it’s only 4ft. The real standout for the second week is Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd of August. We’re looking at clean, light offshore winds and a solid 6ft to 7ft SW groundswell with a 16 to 17-second period. The combined energy sits around 1185 to 2619, which is moderate but high quality. The wind is light, the swell is lined up, and the direction is perfect. That Monday morning, the 3rd of August, is the pick of the second week for experienced surfers.
The very end of the forecast window, from the 6th and 7th of August, is compromised by onshore winds, turning the surf choppy and messy. Not great for the paddle surfer.
So, the absolute standout is the window from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th July. The Thursday and Friday are for big-wave pros only. The Saturday and Sunday are for the strong, experienced crew. The second week’s best bet is Monday the 3rd of August.
Keep your wetsuit zipped, the ocean is talking.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Thu afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | W 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
8568 | 9339 | 15084 | 10989 | 9994 | 7603 | 5326 | 4648 | 972 | 1834 | 1630 | 428 | 332 | 298 | 694 | 936 | 3601 | 4996 | 17353 | 11731 | 3305 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 7:37PM1.83m | 6:15AM1.64m | 8:47PM1.79m | 6:48AM1.51m | 10:02PM1.80m | 7:34AM1.41m | 11:14PM1.86m | 9:13AM1.34m | 00:12AM1.95m | 10:53AM1.35m | 00:56AM2.05m | 12:02PM1.42m | 1:30AM2.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:28PM0.34m | 1:06AM1.15m | 1:12PM0.42m | 2:29AM1.28m | 2:07PM0.50m | 4:25AM1.33m | 3:17PM0.56m | 6:03AM1.28m | 4:30PM0.58m | 6:59AM1.19m | 5:31PM0.57m | 7:32AM1.10m | 6:22PM0.53m | ||||||||
7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 |
2667 | 2667 | 5335 | 5472 | 3632 | 2694 | 1960 | 1748 | 972 | 553 | 496 | 428 | 332 | 298 | 694 | 936 | 2175 | 3883 | 10265 | 7046 | 3305 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 18 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 14 | SW 12 | SE 16 | — | — | — | — |
— | 266 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 26 | 39 | 77 | 151 | 4 | 23 | 10 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SW 11 | SW 11 | — | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | W 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 | — |
8568 | 9339 | 15084 | 10989 | 9994 | 7603 | 5326 | 4648 | — | 1834 | 1630 | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 3601 | 4996 | 17353 | 11731 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 564 | 19 | 240 | 277 | 277 | 620 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cape Otway | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










