Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.6° 

Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 17s period, SSW swell with 2,934 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bells Beach - Bowl this week:

The surf forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 2.2m 17s 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4PM (Tue 25th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 13s
Best Surf10AM (Sun 30th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 17s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 30th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into what's comin' our way. The first part of the window is mostly small, but we've got a couple of standout windows that are gonna make it all worth it.

The water temp's sittin' at 56°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there in your wetsuit.

Alright, the first real session worth paddling out for is on Tuesday, August 25. The Bowl at Bells Beach – Bowl is gonna be the spot. We're lookin' at a clean 4 ft SW groundswell with a solid 13-second period. The wind’s glassy, dead out of the NNW at 3 mph. You're gonna get that combo of proper energy and a smooth surface. Combined wave energy is a moderate 509. It's got that classic Bells line-up with an exposed SW swell, which is right on the money.

Wednesday morning, August 26 gets a bit messy. The wind swings SW at 12 mph, turnin' cross-shore and bumpin' things up. The swell's a touch smaller at 4 ft from the SSW, but the wind ruining the party. That afternoon stays choppy and cross-on. I'd give it a miss.

Thursday, August 27, the morning cleans up again. We get a light NW offshore at 6 mph and a 3 ft SSW swell with an 11-second period. It's small but clean, with combined energy droppin' to 202. The afternoon stays clean with a light WSW cross-off, but still small.

Friday, August 28 is a bit of a tease. The morning has a 3 ft SW swell but with a very long 18-second period, and combined energy jumps to 761. That long period means it'll be fat and liney at Bells, which is a reef and point, so it will handle it, but there'll be a cross-shore wind. It’s not your peak day.

Now, here’s where it gets real interesting. Sunday, August 30 is the first real standout. The morning session is gonna be magic. We’ve got a clean 6 ft SSW swell, a 17-second period, and a light WSW cross-off at 6 mph. The combined energy is a full-on 3997. That’s strong stuff. This is for the experienced crew; this size at Bells with that period means power and walled-up faces. It’s gonna be an excellent session.

Monday, August 31 keeps the quality high. The morning serves up a 6 ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and a clean cross-off from the N at 6 mph. Combined energy is still serious at 1479. In the afternoon, the wind swings NW offshore at 6 mph with a 5 ft SSW swell. Both are excellent windows for experienced surfers. This is your other standout.

Tuesday, September 1 keeps the good times rollin' with an offshore NW breeze at 12 mph, a clean 4 ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and moderate energy of 704. The afternoon stays offshore with a similar 4 ft swell.

After that little run, we get a few smaller but still fun days with a clean NW offshore wind and 4 ft swell on Wednesday, September 2.

Things go a bit lumpy again from Thursday, September 3 through the weekend. The wind gets messy with a strong SW at 22 mph and cross-on conditions. Then on Friday, September 5, we get another pulse for the experts. Saturday morning, September 5 looks great: a light NW offshore at 6 mph and a 5 ft SW swell with a 15-second period. Combined energy is 1034. The afternoon goes cross-on and gets bigger, reaching 7 ft, making it a bit messy.

Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7 are mostly onshore and lumpy, with solid 7 ft and 5 ft swells but messy winds.

After a bit of a lull, Tuesday, September 8 morning cleans up again with a light W cross-off and a small 3 ft SW swell, combined energy at 526. Wednesday, September 9 looks like a total write-off with strong SW cross-onshore winds over 25 mph and rain showers. The swell is a big 6 ft from the SW with a very long 18-second period, but the wind will blow it to pieces. That's kitesurfing weather, not paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: the standouts are hands-down the mornings of Sunday, August 30 and Monday, August 31 at Bells. Get in the water early. The week after that has a few clean windows but nothing with the same power and perfection.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°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
3
1
1
0
2
2
2
2
2
1
3
2
0
2
5
3
4
4
4
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
0.8
SW
15
1.1
SSW
12
1.3
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
10
0.8
SSW
11
0.3
SW
21
0.8
SW
14
0.8
SW
18
1.2
SW
17
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
14
0.8
SW
14
0.9
SSW
9
1.9
SSW
17
2.2
SSW
17
2.1
SSW
16
1.7
SSW
16
1.5
SSW
16
1.4
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
509
418
255
336
528
134
133
86
257
442
812
644
466
248
140
2000
2934
2318
1479
1112
795
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
5
WSW
15
WSW
20
SW
20
SSW
10
WNW
10
NW
10
WSW
15
WNW
15
SW
15
S
10
WNW
10
WNW
15
SSW
10
W
10
WSW
10
S
5
NW
10
N
10
NW
15
NNW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
off
off
High Tide
7:25PM1.34m
10:33AM1.47m
9:05PM1.28m
11:36AM1.55m
10:46PM1.32m
12:19PM1.63m
11:57PM1.42m
12:53PM1.70m
00:50AM1.55m
1:23PM1.76m
1:34AM1.69m
1:52PM1.81m
2:14AM1.81m
Low Tide
2:36PM1.14m
2:51AM0.60m
4:31PM1.11m
4:11AM0.61m
5:46PM1.00m
5:20AM0.57m
6:30PM0.86m
6:15AM0.52m
7:03PM0.71m
7:00AM0.47m
7:34PM0.55m
7:40AM0.45m
8:04PM0.40m
light rain
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
 mm
3
1
Temp °C
11
13
12
13
12
10
13
14
12
13
12
10
12
12
10
13
12
11
16
19
13
Feels °C
10
12
9
8
7
8
11
12
9
10
8
8
9
9
7
11
10
10
14
17
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 Bells Beach - Bowl:

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 Bells Beach - Bowl 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 Bells Beach - Bowl Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Bells Beach - Bowl provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bells Beach - Bowl can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bells Beach - Bowl 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 (Bells Beach - Bowl) 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 Bells Beach - Bowl 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.

Bells Beach - Bowl is 26 km (16 miles) from the city of Geelong. If you plan a holiday in Torquay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong. Geelong has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

Nearest locationNearest