Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto folks, Rusty here. We’ve only got one spot worth talking about in this entire outlook, and it’s a proper classic: Bells Beach - Bowl.

The overall pattern is an unfolding winter swell window. There’s a serious pulse of energy coming through, with a standout window peaking deep in the forecast. Be patient, because the first week is a mixed bag of building and fading sets before the real magic arrives.

It all kicks off on Thursday afternoon the 13th. A solid 7ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period is pumping in, carrying a hefty combined swell energy of 2337. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze at 6 mph, keeping it clean. The water temp is 56°, feeling dead average for the time of year. This is excellent, but only for you advanced guys – at 7ft, it’s a bit too much for beginners.

Friday the 14th holds in the morning with a similar 7ft SW swell and clean cross-off winds, but by the afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and the quality drops. Saturday morning the 15th is a glassy treat with 6ft SSW swell under a 3 mph SSE glass-off. Perfect. That’s your first real standout morning – clean, manageable, and with that long 15-second period making for some beautiful, lined-up walls.

The surf then winds down through Sunday the 16th and into next week. By the 18th, the swell drops to under 2ft, and despite clean cross-off winds on Tuesday morning, there’s just not enough push. The first week fizzles out, leaving us with tiny, knee-high leftovers. There’s a noticeable gap of a few days with nothing worth paddling for.

Then we see a new pulse arrive. On Sunday the 23rd, a 5ft SW swell bumps up under cloudy skies and cross-off wind, still a bit messy. But the real headline act is on Wednesday the 26th. Holy moly. A massive 13ft SW swell is forecast, with a combined swell energy of 9663 – that’s a beast, no two ways. The wind is a fresh offshore from the NW at 19 mph, which will be clean but howling. This is for experts only; 13ft is a big, dangerous ocean. The period is a steady 16 seconds, giving it plenty of punch.

After that monster passes, it settles back down to a more manageable 5ft to 6ft on the 27th and 28th, with clean conditions again, making for a nice run of waves to finish the month. The final option on the 28th afternoon sees a 5ft swell with a very long 19-second period, but the cross-shore wind will chop it up a bit at Bells.

So, the standout: without a doubt, the Wednesday the 26th session for the adrenaline seekers and top-level crew. The earlier glassy morning on Saturday the 15th is the pick for anyone wanting a flawless session without the huge size.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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